The Seven Deadly Sins
by aphinitea
Summary: The seven sins have invaded Hogwarts, and the Trio have to go against time to figure out who's going to be possessed next... HPDM slash, HGRW and a few other couplings.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Own the plot, nothing else.

_**THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS**_

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**PROLOGUE**

_**The Bible and several other self help or enlightenment books cite the Seven Deadly Sins. They are: Pride, greed, lust, envy, wrath, sloth and gluttony. That pretty much covers everything that we do, that is sinful...or fun for that matter. Dave Mustaine.**_

_It was a single hour before dawn break. Harry Potter was lying on his stomach, dreaming about absolutely nothing, when suddenly he sat bolt upright amongst the sheets, sniffing the air._

_Extra training, preparing him for the dark times that were bound to come had done him good. His intuition had sharpened to a good sharp point, and right now, his intuition was telling him that there was smoke in the room._

_Where there was smoke, there would be fire._

_Harry got up quickly._

_Running out of his room, he shouted, hearing echoing screams ringing off the walls of the castle. Students ran frantically around, some gathering in groups, others collapsing and sobbing in fear on the floor._

_Classmates were pushed aside as Harry ran through the crowds, his hands seemingly searching for something. For what, he didn't know, but his feet continued running and his eyes continued hunting._

_Out of the blue, a single figure called out to him, and in an instant, he was racing through the corridors after the enigma._

_He didn't know why, all he knew, was that it was urgent._

_He was just about to catch the escapee's sleeve when time seemed to slow down and stop. Nothing, moved, everything frozen in a superficial photograph of time._

_Everything was still._

_Then slowly, as if in a rewind of a muggle movie on tape, everything started to move backwards in an increasingly faster blur. Objects, people, all flew back to their places in a sickening amount of time._

_The smoke, previously slow and creeping in it's invasion of the castle, receded as well, faster and faster, until everything was back in it's place._

_And that, was when Harry's alarm clock decided to ring._

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A/N: Please review. Will be updating every week...or two. Thank you! 


	2. The Beginning

Disclaimers will only be placed on the first chapter and the last chapter.

**_THE SEVEN SINS_**

**

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CHAPTER 1: THE BEGINNING**

_**The seven deadly sins…food, clothing, firing, rent, taxes, respectability and children. Nothing can lift those seven millstones from man's neck but money; and the spirit cannot soar until the millstones are lifted George Bernard Shaw.**_

It was the 27th of October –halfway through the first school term. Harry woke up yawning, his hands reaching out to stop the alarm clock.

"Strange dream," he thought, rubbing his eyes grouchily. He started to dress into some sportswear, comfortable enough for a morning jog. Thankfully his alarm clock hadn't woken anyone –he'd bought it in Diagon Alley with a guarantee that it would not only never fail to ring, but that it would ring only for those it was intended to wake.

Finally getting his trainers done, he ran down the stairs and out towards the Whomping Willow Tree, but not close enough for danger. Slowing down by the side of the lake, he guided his limbs in graceful movements, his green eyes closed to the world. His feet swept the floor, a slight breeze brushing the grass.

Here, he was at peace.

For an hour, he stood there, under the rising sun. As soon as the sunlight hit his face, he went inside.

**hpdm hpdm hpdm hpdm hpdm hpdm hpdm hpdm hpdm hpdm hpdm  
**

"So, wait, you had the same dream as well? Too cool!" yelled Seamus, as he and Dean went down the stairs.

"Too scary, you mean. It was more like a nightmare!" Dean said, shuddering slightly.

"Hey, hey, I'll protect you," said Seamus, putting a friendly arm over his best friend's shoulders. Dean started, his brown, doe-like eyes gazing into the cobalt, earnest ones of his friend.

"Hey, you two!" The two startled friends looked towards their left to see a red-headed boy and a bushy (although recently becoming a little tamer) haired girl in the corner.

"Hermione! Ron!" Seamus bounced over to the two Gryffindors, giving them his customary morning hugs. Dean walked over, slightly behind his energetic mate, shaking his head with a fond smile on his face.

He was used to his friend's antics.

"So, anything up?" Seamus asked. He was always the most energetic one in the morning.

"Nah, just a nightmare," Ron replied, with a dismissive gesture. "But it was so _weird_ Hermione and I had the same dream!"

Seamus and Dean looked at each other.

"Did it have lots of fire and smoke and people panicking and stuff?" Dean asked tentatively.

"Yes!" Both Hermione and Ron looked at them in astonishment. Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"But how did you…" Her eyes widened in sudden realization. "Unless!"

"Unless what?" Ron asked, scratching his head puzzledly.

"They had the same dream!" Hermione hissed. They turned down a corridor.

"What!" Ron exclaimed. "But that's impossible! How can four people have the same dream?"

Seamus shrugged, while Dean put on his 'don't-know-so-don't-ask' look on his face. Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"I'll research it in the library, later," she said. The other three didn't bother replying. Everyone knew about Hermione's obsession with research and her books by now.

Soon, a scrumptious scent of newly-made breakfast reached their noses, and they scurried to the Gryffindor table –Ron at the foremost of their group.

"Hey, Harry! Save some for me!" Ron hollered down the dining hall. The other two boys snickered, although both also walked just that little bit faster. Hermione just covered her mouth to hide her smile.

Harry, already sitting at the table, moved generously to accommodate his friends.

"Morning," he said, greeting them. They nodded, but hurriedly took their seats. Ron looked at Harry expectantly.

Harry chuckled, knowing exactly what his best friend's eyes were asking him. Grinning, he passed a plate of scrambled eggs and sausages to the group. Dean and Seamus looked at him puzzledly.

"I noticed you were both a little late, so I figured you might want to have at least a little something before everyone gobbled it all," Harry explained. The two other Gryffindors nodded, murmuring a 'thank you', then digging in.

Harry chuckled again. Hermione looked at him. "Sky cheer you up a bit?" she asked, smiling.

He grinned. "Yeah. Though I had this totally weird nightmare last night."

Immediately the four stopped eating. Hermione looked up, he fork placed slowly back down on the table.

"W-was it about _Voldemort_?" she asked, eyes wide.

"No." Harry frowned. "It didn't. In fact, it had– "

"Fire?" asked Ron.

"Smoke?" asked Seamus.

"And lots and lots of screaming?" Dean put down his cup of hot chocolate. He licked his lips, not noticing the slight flush on his best friend's cheeks as Seamus looked away. He looked at Harry, who was gaping.

"H-how did you –"He stuttered, getting a tad nervous with the four pairs of eyes staring in his direction.

"We had the same dream, mate!" said Ron excitedly. He scrunched up his forehead. "Well, maybe not the same version. ' Mione and I compared stories this morning and, um…" He went red.

A slight pinkish tint appeared on Hermione's cheeks. "What Ron means to say, is that while he was," she coughed, hiding her increasingly reddening face, "looking for _me_, I was looking for _him_." She looked down into her bowl of cereal.

Seamus nodded. "Sounds about right. I woke up Dean in mine."

"And I got woken up by Seam' in mine." Dean's eyebrows shot up. "Maybe it really happened…"

Ron spoke up. "But where are the burn marks if it did?"

They were silent.

"Maybe it was magical?" Seamus questioned, more to himself than anyone else.

Harry shook his head, finally speaking. "No. A fire that doesn't burn anything is completely ridiculous because that means it wasn't meant to harm anyone. And obviously this was deliberate because all of the school fires are charmed to only go in certain areas."

Harry looked at his companions, who were staring at him in shock. He blinked, then glared.

"What? I actually do _read_ you know!" he said indignantly.

Hermione nodded, first shaking her head like a puppy shaking off water.

"Harry's right." The others turned to look at her. "It can't have been real. It must have been a dream."

Ron frowned. "But then, why did we all have the same thing?"

The others didn't answer.

-

That night, while everyone was asleep, with the exception of Professor Sprout who had night patrol duty, a red glow emitted from one of the rooms, spreading slowly at first, then faster and faster, amongst the roof, the walls, the floor boards.

Down the staircases, and up every tower, it spread like an epidemic, a disease.

It reached the borders of the grounds, glowing a pulsing, poisonous red. It changed to the murky colour of toxic blood, then stopped, seemingly absorbing down to the ground.

Throughout the castle, two people jolted awake. One, was Professor Dumbledore.

The other was Harry Potter.

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Megan Finn: Thanks, girl for reviewing my fic, and for betaing it! You have absolutely no idea how much it means to me to have your approval!

Blue: Uh...this was the chapter I wanted you to beta, but that's fine! Just beta the next one, girl! And thanks for the compliments blushes

Again, reviews are appreciated.


	3. Pride: Superbia

_**THE SEVEN SINS**_

**CHAPTER 2: PRIDE: SUPERBIA I**

_**Pride ruined the angels. Ralph Waldo Emerson.**_

"Mister Potter!" Do you have something to share with the class?"

Harry shook himself awake. "Er, no Professor."

"Good." The obviously false sweet look on Snape's face vaporized into the familiar sneer he seemed to reserve for Harry alone. "Then you will _kindly_ pay attention to my class."

Harry sighed. "Yes, Professor."

He looked back down at his work.

_I just can't seem to stop this feeling in my gut. What's wrong with me?_

He wrinkled his brow.

_Maybe it's to do with yesterday night._

"Potter."

_Why did I wake up?_

"_Potter_."

_It's not like I had a nightmare or anything._

"_**Potter**!_"

Harry jerked to the right, startled. One rather livid Slytherin faced him.

"Oh," Harry said, calmly brushing off his sleeve where Malfoy had touched him, "It's you."

"What are you, _dim_?" the blonde retorted back. "Of course, it's me, who else would it be, McGonagall in a thong?"

Harry grimaced. "Oh, gross, Malfoy. No offence, but your imagination really needs a water down."

Malfoy, following perfectly to the road of expectation, sneered. "Oh really? Let me guess, Potter. Your wet dreams consist of jelly, furry slippers, leather, and one bearded old headmaster."

Harry dropped the water newt eyes into Malfoy's cauldron (he'd submitted out of complete self-preservation from Malfoy's whining) and turned again, to the right. "You know, I kind of liked the sound of that: although I'm afraid they're better off in those weird what-was-the-point-of-that dreams, than my wet ones."

Malfoy snorted. "You _would_."

They continued mixing almost peacefully. Despite their arguments and such, they both held enough respect for Snape (negative or no) for both of them to work at least reliably (if not compatibly).

They finished quickly, with Malfoy's self-timing cauldron glowing a bright silver to signify it was ready.

"Thank God, I don't have to deal with you next year." The platinum blonde did a dramatic sweep of his hand, off his forehead.

Harry chuckled. "Sorry, Malfoy, I'm afraid that's not true," he said in a mock-sorry tone.

Malfoy stopped. He put the finished potion into a vial, delicately tipping the swirling liquid into the glass container. "Alright, Potter, what is it? Don't tell me: you're _actually_ entering Snape's Advanced Potions Class." He sneered, obviously amused at his own joke.

"Well, actually…" Harry smirked. "I _am_ going into Snape's Advanced Potions Class."

Grey eyes went wide, and the small vial dropped down towards the ground.

Harry's hand swept out, as green eyes expanded.

Fingers touched cold glass.

_Saved_.

"Are you crazy? Do you want us _killed_!" he spat out, placing the potion carefully back onto the table.

Malfoy gaped.

Harry smirked. Leaned close, then said, right into Malfoy's ear…

…"there's a fly in your hair."

An unholy shriek sounded throughout the classroom.

**hpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdm**

Hermione stomped on ahead of them, clearly not in good spirits.

"Well, I liked it, mate," Ron said, after a while of gazing at their best friend's form. He scratched his head. "Though that scream really did freak me out. Honestly, who would have thought thatthe Ferret's voice could go that high?"

Harry chuckled again. "Who would have thought an imaginary fly could cause so much trouble?" The two friends shared a wicked smile.

Hermione's scowl grew deeper. She whirled around, her robes flying. "This is our NEWT year! How can you play such jokes?"

Harry smiled sheepishly, while Ron backed a few steps. "I didn't know, Hermione, I'm sorry."

Hermione huffed. "Don't do it again." She turned around, striding towards the Charms room. Harry and Ron looked at her, slightly shocked with her behavior.

"Y -you think it's..._that_ time?" Ron whispered fearfully.

Harry chuckled -then shivered. Whenever his Aunt had gone through..._that_ time of the month, Dudley had been allowed a freer reign of the house, and he was provided witha tonne more chores. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

"Maybe," he admitted, watching his other best friend carefully. "Better be careful, though."

Ron nodded. He turned the corner, when a first-year flew past him, eyes wide and frightened. The two friends looked at each other.

"What's up with _him_?" Ron wondered aloud. They looked towards the classroom that the boy had run from. It was their History of Magic class...

They shrugged, and entered it nonchalantly.

Professor Binns was waiting for them. "What are you doing late in my class? Do you think I have nothing better to do? _Move_!"

Ron stood there, staring at their ghost Professor, disbelievingly. Harry, although as shocked as he was, quickly regained his sense enough to drag him to his seat.

They had hardly sat down, however, when Binns quickly turned towards them, and said "Well? Who was the sixteenth descendant of Merlin?"

Harry and Ron stared at him blankly.

The little ghost glared at them. Later, Harry would have sworn that the transparent whiskers on their teacher's face were bristling with rage. Now however, he was only concentrating on surviving the class.

"I said, who was the sixteenth descendant of Merlin!" he roared.

Ron seemed to shrink down into his seat. "W -we don't know sir," he replied timidly.

The ghost Professor flew up, his translucent form almost shimmering in his fury.Navy light seemed to shine from his normally light blue eyes. "You don't know. _You don't know_. _**You don't know**?_ I spent _so much time_ teaching you, and _you don't know_? I have no _time_ to be teaching imbeciles! I am a _genius_! The _top student_ to graduate from my university in my subject! I do not have _time _for you idiots! For the last time, _who was the sixteenth descendent of Merlin_?"

Ron gulped. He squeaked.

Professor Binns flew up yet again. "**GET OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! _OUT_!**"

Quickly, Harry and Ron scrambled out of the classroom, hastily dragging their satchels with them.

They stood there, panting, out of breath. Ron's face had returned it's colour. "What the heck was up with _him_?"

Harry was about to shrug when the classroom door flung open yet again -this time throwing both Hannah Abbot and Dean Thomas out. Both were gaping like goldfish.

"What did you do?" Harry asked incredulously. Both Hannah and Dean were the least trouble-making students in the entire year. Apart from the occasional partaking they would have in a few jokes or so, they were normally very quiet.

"Nothing." Hannah raised her hands in a 'surrender' postion.

"He just threw us out, saying something about how he was much more deserving than this, and how he should have gotten the HOGS already," added Dean.

Harry looked at Ron, puzzled. "HOGS just stands for Honorary Order of Genius Supreme," Ron explained. Harry nodded.

The door slammed again, and they looked sharply to the classroom. Seamus ran out, soon followed by Zacharias Smith. Soon, the corridors were filled with the sixth-years from Binns' morning class.

Harry and Ron stared, as many rather hot-headed students began complaining about how 'Binns had definitely got something up his you-know-what.' Others, particularly girls, cried on the spot. Hermione, however, was the main spectacle.

Her frizzy hair seemed wilder than ever, as her eyes shone brightly with all that was rage. Hands clenched in fists were tense at her side, as she seemed to glow with rage.

"HOW DARE HE! HE'S RUINED MY RECORD! HE CAN'T THROW ME OUT ON THE BASIS OF NOTHING! I'LL REPORT THIS TO THE SCHOOL WIZARDING BOARD!"

Everyone except Harry and Ron began to file away, rather scared of this new, angry Granger.

Ron swallowed. "Uh, Hermione?"

She turned to him, eyes still glowing like a forest fire on display. "_What_?"

"'Mione, calm down?" Ron, though obviously terrified, placed a hand on her shoulder. Gradually the sparks died down in Hermione's eyes, and a gentle smile appeared on her face.

Ron sighed with relief, and Harry blew outa breath of air.

"Thanks Ron," Hermione took on a sheepish look.

"Welcome," Ron mumbled, shyly.

Hermione grinned, then frowned. "I wonder what happened with Binns...he's never normally so...irritating." She screwed up her nose in disgust.

Ron smirked. "Well, it was still the most exciting HM class I've had since I got here."

"Oh, you!" Hermione slapped him playfully on his arm.

Harry rolled his eyes, than looked towards the empty classroom.

_I wonder what happened._

Inside, a couple of eyes glowed neon blue...

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Author's Note: Hi! This is just a place for me to make tiny little notes about the story for anybody who's interested. The chapter titles are basically the sin for the chapter (duh), and their Latin translations. 

For anyone who's interested, the quote for this chapter is especially interesting (a reminder: Pride ruined the angels), basically because Pride was supposed to be the worst of all the seven sins (which were also known as cardinal sins). If I remember correctly, there were also originally eight deadly sins, but two of them got stuck together (one being seriously complicated: it' s called vainglory, and the second one is narcissisum), and became Pride.

Lucifer is also said to be the demon with which this sin was associated with. The associated demon is said to tempt people with 'their' sin.

Oh, and p.s., this fic is not against any religion (unless your religion is against homosexual/bisexual relationships, in which case, you shouldn't BE here), even with it's title. Apart from the occasional swear word (I've tried refraining from too many, as it IS crude and we all know it, even if we still say it, as obviously it would still be better than punching your poor neighbor, or getting punched by said neighbor in retaliation), most of the fiction is about a developing relationship...and a tad about resisting temptation. For those who are wondering about the rating, this is also because of the Lust chapter coming up.

Responses to reviews:

Clayscarface: I actually did mean what I said in my reply to you! (Seriously, don't tell anyone about the truth thingy okay?) looks around, suspiciously for parents Heh, well, hope you review this time too, right? grovels Well, you don't have to. sighs, melodramatically (friends always called me a drama queen…I don't get the joke 'cos I get stage fright) I believe in freedom of choice. I mean, if I didn't, I wouldn't be writing this, right?

Meg Finn: Darling, my faithful, _faithful_ reviewer/beta. You have no idea how much that meant to me. It still serves me a holy horror to find mistakes in my work. I am only a perfectionist in my writing –msn language is highly necessary in anything else. I am feeling quite emotional after seeing these reviews (you may find this ridiculous, but it's actually quite overwhelming to find this many reviews for me by the 2nd chapter. Cygnus Melancoryphus needed my 4th first). If it's really arousing your curiosity, I am sniffing. Thank yourselves.

This is getting longer than the chapter. O.O

Thunderslightning: Hey! Thanks for checking in…your review really does make a difference to me, no matter how small or how big! smiles And I've never really had my work called 'awesome' before!

Aseret Kitsune: Good, 'cause if you can't wait for more, that means there's more incentive for me to write faster! grins I'm actually replying to you guys, before I write the actual chapter (despite this being at the bottom of the page) so I have a motive to keep writing!

Astyra: Well, honey, I hope I'm living up to it! For a second there, I thought a zombie had followed me or something MUST…HAVE…MORE…, and wanted some more of my egg pudding (I'm very proud of my egg puddings)…nearly did a double take there! Anyway, I really do hope you continue to like my fic! I always feel like I'm dragging myself on too much (tell me if I do, everyone), but hey! Let's go with the flow, people!


	4. Wrath: Ira

_**THE SEVEN SINS  
**__**

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**_

**CHAPTER 3: WRATH: IRA**

_**An angry man opens his mouth and shuts up his eyes. Cato.**_

It was a week later when something else happened. Binns had gotten rather incontrollable. He had taken to shouting at everyone in his rooms, and everyone had labeled him a horror that was even worse than Snape.

Of course, the Slytherin professor hadn't exactly been very happy about his reputation –some of the students actually had the audacity to sigh with relief when they entered the Potions classroom –and was demanding that his colleague be locked up.

McGonagall had at first laughed at Snape's predicament, but after having been insulted so awfully in the Grand Hall (everyone had stopped eating in shock as soon as Binns had said "I could teach your subject any day! _Ten_ times easier than mine; the things taught are so easy, anyone could have passed that load of crap in a month!") had also supported his cause –quite vehemently too.

He'd been in a meeting with Dumbledore, but it had resulted in little change. The shouts had turned into whispers, but they were stage whispers, and were obviously meant to be heard.

The students had no idea why he was that way, but none of them dared to whisper rumors –they were too afraid.

Yet it wasn't Binns that created the next incident.

The Trio were walking down the stairs (the staircases had moved again, creating a roundabout route –for fun, Ron had said, rather exasperatedly –which meant that the students trapped on the particular path had to walk first down, then up towards their classrooms), when they encountered Ron's sister.

Ginny was standing rather insolently in their way. Ron stepped forward, puzzled and already not a little frustrated. "Ginny, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in class!"

She didn't move, her position quiet, and reticent. Her lips were thin, and her eyebrows drawn together in a stormy scowl. She reminded Harry of a deadly snake he had spoken to in the summer. Another zoo-convict; a murderous one, one that seemed to stand on it's coils, and fix you with it's beaded stare. Her arms were held out in front of her –an offensive attitude, and Harry almost instinctively took a step back.

"Is something wrong?" Ron asked. He was concerned now, his forehead creased, his mind wondering what had happened to his sister. "What's wrong, Ginny?"

"You stopped me." Her voice was low, soft, terrible.

"I stopped you from _what_?" Ron asked, annoyed. Transfiguration was one of the things he enjoyed most, especially given to the fact that Hermione was his partner.

"_You stopped me from seeing Harry_." Her usual lilting tone was dangerous now, and despite himself, Harry felt a little fear race down his spine.

Ron's eyebrows shot up. "_I_ stopped you from seeing Harry? You know he's gay, Ginny! I told you that ages ago!"

"_He is not_! You stopped me from seeing him! I _had a chance_, you little prejudiced idiot!"

"Harry's _gay_, Ginny!" Ron exclaimed loudly, rather irritated by now. He was late for Transfiguration, Gryffindor was losing points, and he was arguing with his sister about his best friend's sexuality.

"You little _bastard!_"

A loud slap echoed across the corridor, as Ginny's hand connected with skin.

A red mark appeared on his cheek. Ron touched the mark slowly, the tingling feeling giving way to pain in seconds.

"Ginny?" Ron asked, aghast.

His sister sneered. Hermione inhaled sharply, her eyes narrowing into slits worthy of Crookshanks' glares. She forcefully dragged a somewhat shocked Ron behind her. Absently, Harry noted that even with her much smaller stature, she was still shielding him rather impressively.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed. Harry too, stepped forward, to guard his friend.

"Doing what I should have done five bloody years ago!" Ginny snarled back. Harry scoured her face keenly; her cinnamon eyes seemed to glow with fire, as she let her anger rip through her.

"He's your brother!" She exclaimed, her feet tense like a hawk defending it's nest.

"He's _not_ my brother."

Immediately Ron flinched, light blue eyes turning dull with hurt, his tall build seemingly shrinking in on itself. Hermione, seeing this, grew furious.

"How can you say that?" she seethed. "He's done so much to keep you safe! _How can you say that_?" Her voice rose up in tone, ringing louder and louder.

Hermione advanced a step, her arms raised up like a lioness about to attack, but Ron placed a fe fingers on her arm.

"No." And his voice was broken, shattered, a mourning wind compared to former blue skies. "Let's go." He looked at them sadly, eyes begging to leave, like a little child.

Hermione's stance softened, and she led him away by the hand, a mother leading away her child, her little darling. Harry followed them slowly.

When he looked back, Ginny was still staring at them, and her eyes were no longer warm and kind.

**hpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdm**

When he'd returned to the house common room (despite all explanations, he still had to make his rounds), Hermione and Ron had settled on the sofa. They were the only two in the room. Doubtless, Hermione had used her rather unnerving stares to send everyone away –even in situations like these, she did not like using her power over the younger years.

She was stroking Ron's hair, now, running her fingers through the soft wavy strands. Ron's body was tense, curled up into a tight fetal position, his head on her lap, pillowed on the soft folds of her robes. He was clutching the creases between his fingers, and his back gave a shiver occasionally.

Harry did not need to see his face to know that he was crying.

Gently he sat down near Ron' legs, sideways along the sofa, and touched his side, where Ron's ribs were. He dragged his thumb over the bones, counting, and comforting. His friend was still radiating the silent sobs that he hated the most.

Then Harry spoke.

"Ron, you can let it out now."

And a soft cry uttered from dry lips, coarse and raw, and Harry cringed at the amount of anguish buried in the little sound.

Instantly Hermione covered his body with her own, leaning over him, cradling his head in her right arm, as the left encircled his frame. She murmured little nothings, crooning sweet mother-like sounds, not really saying anything, but saying something all the same. Harry continued to knead his back, giving his friendship, giving all he had in those touches.

For that was all he could do, really.

That was all he could do.

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A/N: I'm afraid some of my somewhat angsty week entered into this chapter update, but I was struck by that image of Ron. He is the tallest of the Trio, and people portray him as everything from evil, to pious, but I liek him like he is. 

Response to reviews: thunderslightning: Did I ever tell you I love rainstorms? They're so hauntingly beautiful, that if it ever took on a persona, I swear I would see a lady dressed with a cloth made out of a cascading waterfall, and raindrops as jewels in her hair. She would have a dreamy look in her eyes, but suddenly the lightning would flash, and she would sparkle, like a field of energy…

I'm updating now! Are you happy? Lol, hope you liked it.

Aseret Kitsune: Yes, but much, much later, I'm afraid. But hey, the person who takes on Lust will be interesting to know wouldn't they? Try guessing who it is!

I'll add an epilogue if anyone can!

Meg Finn: Lol, I'm back into the confusing thing, huh? Yes, I love the fly too…although I hate them in person. Draco's got a sympathizer. Yes, it rhymed! Hermione wasn't PMSing but she's a little effected by something or other…a bad day…or something else? Hmm…have to wait and see.

Clayscarface: Thank you for reviewing again! I like to figure out plots too…as for the Binns thing, you'll see about that later…I promise I have the whole thing figured out, as I'm rather a details-person…I constantly scream with horror at my typos…

Queen of the Fairys: Thank you so much! Hope you liked the chapter…Will do the uploading…uh, and did?

Frankie and Avery.dont ask: I'm very very happy you told me about the mistake, but haven't exactly changed it yet as I want to get the whole thing figured out. You see, what I meant by Hermione saying it was the NEWT year, was that it was their NEWT course year, but not the year they were taking their exams…sort of like the A levels. The course is over two years, but the exams are in the second year, at the end of the course, right? If I'm still wrong, and the NEWT course lasts for one year, and one year only, please inform me…it means as much to me as to you, I promise! I'm not making fun of you; I'm being really serious with this request, as I really _am_ rather confused about the course years.

Jessy: Thank you for commenting, it means so much to me! Hope you liked this chapter, and I'm glad you liked the plotline! I love little things like the old myths, and so. They are so interesting to get to know about. I learned so much from researching the 7!

California smells funny: I SO love your name! My dad's family lives in San Francisco…but in Sacramento. I don't really think the plot is original though…so many people have used it! I'm glad you like it however, and blithely imagine you reading it happily (I hope)!


	5. Greed: Avaritia

_**THE SEVEN SINS**_

**

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**

**CHAPTER 4: GREED: AVARITIA**

**_The man who has won millions at the cost of his conscience is a failure. BC Forbes._**

_Something is wrong. _

Harry hadn't even realized that he'd said this out loud, until Hermione's voice had startled him out of his thought train.

"Yes, there is."

Harry brooded. The Ginny incident (or so they called it), had occurred a week ago, but she hadn't stopped snapping at her friends; some of her remarks causing even the closest of her friends to angry tears.

Professor Binns hadn't improved either; he'd been locked, charmed and shielded into a room, but he'd escaped right through the door, ghost-style. He'd stayed silent, though, after that, holding his head high as he floated through the corridors. A few days later, he'd resigned from his lessons.

No one had protested.

Even Draco Malfoy had thought it strange –of course, he'd expressed this thought with a bundle of insults and snide remarks, but Harry had learned to ignore these. For what was the point in the end? The blonde would not stop; fists did not shut his mouth, so in actual conclusion, there was no point.

Malfoy had sneered, and smirked, saying that at least one of the Weasels had sense. But his eyebrows had that slightly scrunched-up look; an irregularity that told Harry that no matter what he said out of that rather vile mouth, Draco Malfoy was stumped.

"Both Ginny and Binns," he muttered. "And both on Tuesdays." Hermione looked at him with a rather strange expression on her face.

"You know, you're right."

Harry and Ron looked questioningly at her.

"Well, all of it starts on Tuesdays. Ginny yelled at you on Tuesday, didn't she?" she looked towards Ron, albeit apologetically for bringing the subject up.

"Yeah, it was," Ron said slowly. "You're saying that that wasn't my sister?" A touch of fury, yet hope filled his eyes.

Harry spoke up, a little ruefully. "There's a chance, but it's only a chance. That actually might be just Ginny herself," he warned.

Ron nodded, but his shoulders raised a little, seemingly a little lighter. "But it's Tuesday, today, isn't it?"

Harry nodded. They walked down the stairs.

They were walking the rest of the way to the Potions classroom when blonde hair asserted itself into their view.

It wasn't Malfoy.

It was Parkinson.

She brushed past them, at first. They'd felt the atmosphere; colder than before, but they'd attributed it to the temperature.

Then she'd turned around, and her eyes glowed golden; not with the radiance of the sun, but with the reflections of money.

"Harry…darlin', could you spare me some money? You have so much in your account…the Witch Weekly told us how much your parents left you…do you mind giving some of that to poor little me?"

Harry looked at her in shock. She came up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I want so much; surely you could give some to me?" she whispered into his ear.

He shook her off, an abrupt 'no' escaping from his lips. She pouted, an endearing, yet chilling expression of the lips. "I won't give up so easily, you know."

She turned around, climbing gracefully up the stairs.

They stood there, their normal morning already disrupted, when they heard the sound, quiet, yet disruptive as water dropelts at midnight. Clear footsteps were echoing towards them.

Faster and faster, the droplets becoming a torrent, a river, a waterfall, then a voice, angry and destructive.

"What did you do to her!"

Draco Malfoy stood in front of them, his robes moving with his erratic breathing. His hair was tousled, hands curled into fists. Harry looked at him, his mind impulsively giving him both the answer to Malfoy's question, and the answer to who the said boy was talking about.

"Nothing."

"She's been acting like that all morning! Bullying the first-years out of their coins, snatching stuff off the table, threatening the Slytherin girls! Cold to me, pretending things to get the gold out of my pocket! You don't think I can't see when someone's lying to me? People have lied to me all my life!" He snarled, a terrible energy rippling throughout his body.

"Don't tell me you had nothing to do with it! You know something; I can _see_ it! " He hissed, stature straight and tense.

"I know nothing!" Harry protested again.

He didn't see the blow coming at his jaw, but felt it a few seconds after contact. Gingerly touching the now-injured area, he spoke again, but this time, softly.

"Hermione, take Ron, away from here."

"But…"

He looked at her, with a silent communication born of years together in a stable friendship.

She retreated, with Ron at her side, and Harry turned back to those sharp, dangerous eyes.

It wasn't just a duel, between rival and rival, proving who was better than the other. This was serious. This was business.

"What did you do to her." Malfoy advanced against him, a shark in murky waters. Harry backed off a little, his body running on pure instinct for survival.

"Nothing."

Even to _his_ ears, it seemed weak.

He was pushed forcibly against the cold stone wall, the ridges digging into his back. He winced.

"Change her back." Grey eyes bored into his own, glaring, fierce with fire. One fist was in his tie, wound around it like a master with a whip, except this one wasn't hitting Harry, it was strangling him.

"_Change her back!_" The blonde Slytherin took hold of his collar, yanking him slightly off the floor. The veins of his hands stood out, a little map of his blood system, the road of his life.

The shouts echoed across the corridor, across the hallway.

"I can't." Harry managed to choke out the two words, his eyelids starting to sweep down. Harry was close to fainting by now…although his vision wasn't fading at the edges like the romance books the girls read said they would, the colors were going a little bizarre, and they were swirling like a psychedelic hippie design.

"You can!" And Harry was abruptly let go, where he fell, hands and knees in front of Draco. Automatically, his hands went around his throat, around the places where he still felt the bruises from Malfoy's fingers.

"_You have to_."

It was a whisper.

And slowly, like a receding spirit, he drifted away, a small distance.

Then Draco Malfoy turned around and ran.

**hpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdm**

Harry hadn't exactly expected to see Draco Malfoy sitting on a stone when he'd gone outside after dinner. He himself had built up a habit of taking a walk in the evenings. Although he never wandered out of school grounds, the little stroll helped him clear his mind, improving his blockage of Voldemort's messages.

But there he was, his rival, sitting on a stone, and seemingly using the pond as his mirror.

He'd begun to walk away, but then, hesitantly, he walked back, sitting down next to the blonde.

A few seconds, but then a string of words lifted themselves from the Slytherin's mouth.

"She was a friend to me. There aren't many people who are, but she was one to me."

He stared across the lake, confusion clouding the irises of his eyes.

"My father told me a lot of things when I was little. He'd go past this corridor of portraits, and both he and my ancestors would tell me a whole load about the privileges I'd get when I was older. When you're a Malfoy, there're a lot of people that give way to you in the street. You get a lot of favors, and you basically get to order people around. People are scared of you, so they try not to get you mad."

He smiled, this sad, remorseful smile.

"But nobody said that you wouldn't have friends."

Harry didn't know how to respond. He had had no experience with people; years of running, and doing endless slave-like chores had made him a scrawny, skinny little kid. Years of escaping from bullies and family had made him a shy, people-avoiding reclusive. He had had no experience with people, and the only experience of friends had been squeezed into the past five years.

He still wasn't used to it.

Instead, he reached out and squeezed the arm of his adversary, the wind sweeping his hair out of his eyes. Grey eyes met his, then a soft flopping sound, as Ma- no, _Draco_, laid back. A few moments, then Harry did the same, their bodies at right angles, their hands loosely clasped together, as Draco had refused to let go.

They watched the stars together...

* * *

Author's Note: This is important…**_although technically I'm still within deadline (I'm updating in 2 weeks) this is just to tell you I will definitely not be updating next Thursday as I am in the middle of the Philippines! Cebu to be exact. So don't bother to check until two weeks later!_** And I don't update on any other day apart from Thursday unless I suddenly realize I can't update in the next two weeks or something…in which case I'll probably post early. 

Satan is associated with anger, and Mammon with Greed. I believe, myself, that both Lust and Greed are the ones that affect today's society the most –although Gluttony may also be, since there's been an increase of obesity.

Responses to Reviewers: Persephone-Butterfly: Well, here's the thing. For me, Ron is one of those people that just love on first sight. And I'm not just talking about romantic love here! There's a fic that describes Ron's character very well, and I'll post the name of it in my next chapter. It was HPDM, but what really struck me was one of the paragraphs where Hermione got an 'unexpectedly mature response from Ron'. Hermione had told Ron about Harry's relationship with Draco. Ron had told her a whole load of stuff about how the wizarding society was a little different from the muggle one, but had ended up with 'And anyway, 'Mione, it's Harry.'

I totally agree with the authoress in this respect. Although there are a lot of fics that I read that depict Ron as a person who suddenly turns on Harry because of his relationship with Draco, in my mind he's not actually that kind of person. Whenever he makes a person his friend, that person will always remain his friend, and to put a cliché into this context, he would go to hell and back for that person! _That's basically why I imagined he would cry about Ginny_. Imagine if one of the most important people in your life, that you would _die_ for, that you have lived with for the better part of your years, told you that you had no relationship at all! It would be complete _pain_ on your behalf, not to mention the emotional shock! The tears that Ron goes through is mostly grief, but also partially shock as well.

As for the Ginny not getting mad usually…well, let's just say there's something going on with the people of Hogwarts (as you no doubt pieced together with the Trio in this chapter) that you'll have to find out about later.

Sapphrine: Yes, BRING ON THE HPDM! Lol….hey, there's some action in this chapter (yeah…FINALLY) so I hope you're happy! And the concept you brought up was perfectly correct…there IS something going on with Hogwarts. P.S. This is AU.

Amber: I'm sorry you don't think Harry should be gay. Actually, if you asked me about the book, I would tell you that Harry wouldn't be gay…but a girl can dream, can't she? And if you moved it to a slightly far-fetched idea (the slash authoresses nod like crzy), then you can say that there _could_ be a chacne that they are...Anyway, I'm glad you liked it anyway, and was honest enough to tell me!

Evil Farie Queen: I could hug you for that simple review. I had such a complicated day, that when I came home and saw that I felt like kissing the computer!

Meg Finn: Hey girl! No emails recently? I agree very much with the Ron thing…I promise to give you that fic, as I know for a fact you'll love it!

Joeylluver-dragonofra: I love Fullmetal Alchemist too…RoyEd is my favorite…I'm rather afraid I support slash everywhere!

ArcherofDarkness and Callie: I got much amusement from reading your reviews: don't take that as an insult, it gave me a marvelous day, and I loved reading them. I don't take offense at people calling me gay; I joke around with my friends that it seems that I'm straight, but maybe I'll meet a nice girl one day and fall straight in love –but for now, I'm perfectly straight. And a girl. I find it intriguing that you thought I was a girl at first, and even more intriguing that then you thought I was a boy! Just wondering what made you think that (that's not an insult, I really _do_ want to know). A response to the rainstorm thing…I love it when I'm soaked, but not when I'm slightly wet…it's annoying, I usually go all out for things, unless it gets someone hurt.

Aseret Kitsune: I could tell that you guys were dying for Lust…but I'm afraid that it won't be up till a chapter or two later. All will be revealed in time!

Morena Evensong: I'm not quite sure about the greed/pride thing, as I'm sure I labeled Pride as 'superbia'…Greed is also one of the 7 sins. If you want to check, the source I used the most was Wikipedia. You seem extremely knowledgeable about the Lucifer passage, are you taking Bible Studies? I'm meaning to take Theology as a minor at least, when I get to university, but I'm not quite sure which course to take yet! I took RS as a GCSE you see, and my teacher was lovely! I still carry fond memories of that class…not entirely excluding the fact that my crush was there…but then again, I say it again: a girl can dream!

Xanthie: I'm so glad you reviewed, I thought you disapproved of the fic or something! It's in a different style, but the plot idea just wouldn't leave my head…although I promise there's another few ideas that won't leave my head for a time yet!


	6. Envy: Invidia I

**THE SEVEN SINS

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 6: Envy: Invidia I**

**The envious man thinks that if his neighbor breaks a leg, he will be able to walk better himself. Helmet Shoeck.**

Harry, Hermione and Ron had spread the word about their induction. If not everywhere, at least the people in Gryffindor. Ever since they were made Prefects, Ron and Hermione had been very influential, and Harry had been influential from the start anyway. People were alerted, and many had promised to warn the three, should anything strange arise. The three 'infected' people had been placed somewhere safe, with a suggestion from Harry to Dumbledore.

So far, it had been quiet. But the Trio knew better.

It was Tuesday.

Anxiously the Trio looked around them, their eyes extra sharp, while making their way to the Potions classroom.

Suddenly, Harry turned, having felt light fingers grasp onto his arm. Hesitantly, grey eyes watched him, the light hand pulling him into another passage. Harry, noting the sign of the Prefect's Bathroom, walked in, gesturing with his hands for Draco to talk fast.

Draco took a breath. "I'msorryaboutmebreakingdowninfrontofyou."

Harry's forehead crinkled. "Excuse me?"

Draco closed his eyes. "I'm sorry about me breaking down in front of you."

Harry cocked his head a little. "Oh." His green eyes softened. "Are you alright now?"

Draco nodded, opening his eyes. "Could you, could you maybe not tell anyone?" he said, looking down at the floor.

Harry nodded, concentrating on this new, _vulnerable_ Draco. Then, realizing that the other boy wouldn't be able to see him nod, replied softly "You know I wouldn't."

Draco smiled a little. "Let's get to class." His tone showing confidence again.

They moved away, walking towards the door of the classroom. Immediately Harry groaned. Snape was already there.

"Fifteen points from Gryff–"

"It was my fault, Professor Snape." The class went completely silent. The black-eyed professor looked at his godson, studying him, his less-than-arrogant pose, and relaxed stature.

He nodded.

The class was careful not to gasp. Instead, they watched, breathlessly, as each boy walked to his own seat.

The lesson went smoothly.

Hermione, Harry and Ron were still not fooled.

They'd reached the Gryffindor portrait, talking with Seamus, after the lesson,before one of the first-years appeared, rapidly talking panickedly, tugging them to the Fat Lady's portrait.

Mumbles of 'he's out of control!' and 'he wants you' reached their ears before they arrived at the Gryffindor door.

Bewildered, Seamus entered the portrait, the last thing he saw before going into the common room being the appalled face of the Fat Lady.

It was chaos. Everyone was screaming, and the four watched in terrified awe at the complete pandemonium that was the Gryffindor common room.

Lavender touched his arm.

"Quickly, he's out of control! He keeps saying how he –" her head snapped back, as a lightly tanned hand reached and hit the side of her face.

Lavender hit the wall, a nauseating crack sounding through the room. The rest of the Gryffindors backed away slowly.

Seamus stared at Dean in horror. "Dean, what are you doing?" he exclaimed.

"She touched you." It was a calm, yet rather childish voice that answered Seamus' plea. "I wanted to touch you."

Seamus looked at Dean, a little stunned. He wasn't used to his best friend acting this way –Dean was always the mature one in their friendship; always would be.

"Why does _she_ get to touch you?" The high-pitched whine brought Seamus back down to earth rather sharply. He looked at his best friend, stammering out his reply.

"But you know you can touch me…" he said, his face getting rather flushed as he realized just what exactly he was saying.

"I can't touch you like she can!" Dean pouted. "I want you for myself!"

Seamus looked around helplessly, as Dean hung off his arm. Too many imitations of goldfish littered the room, and he turned to Harry in desperation.

"I know what we have to do," Harry sighed. Dean snarled at him, perhaps already sensing that that something wouldn't be anything that he would like.

Seamus shushed him with his finger.

Bodily they dragged him down the corridors, before arriving at the same one that Harry had used to contain everyone else.

"The Room of Requirement," Seamus breathed. "Of course."

Harry nodded grimly. They did the traditional walk, then opened the door. Inside were four cribs, beds with bars that blocked the person inside from climbing out. As Seamus looked, he realized that three were occupied, two of them filled with screaming people. A strange sensation, for he knew they were screaming by their shadows, but couldn't hear them; he realized that Harry had put a Silencing Charm on each bed.

Harry left the room, giving the two friends their privacy. Reluctantly Seamus started towing his friend over to the one and only unfilled bed.

"No!" Dean screamed. "You can't do this!"

"I'm sorry, Dean," Seamus said, hating himself. He pulled up the bars, one by one.

"But I want to be free! Like him!" Dean said, pointing an accusing finger at Harry.

"Remember?" He pulled Seamus by his left hand towards him. "You're left handed, to my right. See?"

He placed their hands together, finger to finger, palm to palm. Dean's hand was smaller than his, and for a moment, Seamus was reminded of how vulnerable his friend was, and could be. He closed his eyes, clasping their fingers together, curling his protectively around those of the one he loved.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, opening his eyes. He drew up the rest of the bars, Dean trying to get out and failing miserably, the bars growing higher and higher each time he tried to reach over.

"I'm sorry, Dean." Seamus smiled rather awkwardly. The scuffles ended, Dean apparently settling into the bed sheets in an all-time sulk. Seamus smiled again, fondly watching the shadows play across the moonlit walls of green.

As he listened, the shifts of the blankets became smooth, slow breathing, and his head leaned against the crib, acknowledging the fact that Dean had fallen asleep. Seamus looked around, then placed the fingers of his left hand into the crib, the walls of the bed letting him through.

"Goodnight Dean."

Settling uncomfortably onto the floor, he fell asleep, his fingers brushing Dean's tanned skin.

He didn't feel the small fingers of Dean's right hand curl around his own.

* * *

**Author's Note: I am so incredibly ashamed that I updated this late…I apologise deeply for it, but in truth after I came back from Cebu I was quite frantic, because my computer had apparently broken down when I was away. I was on school holiday so I was unable to use a school computer, and I wasn't allowed to a friend's house. With incredible coincidence though, the day that I started school (today) my computer was back in commission, so with sincere apologies, I have typed up this chapter. Again, I am so sorry!**

Responses to Reviewers: California Smells Funny: Why, thank you! Stands up and bows

Evil Farie Queen: I get a hug? I feel so loved! Are the cookies chocolate chips? Lol, love you too!

Morena Evensong: RS does mean Religious Studies, and as for being interested in things, I'm very interested in mythology and 'dark' arts (notice the quotation marks).

I'm going to try and incorporate Draco from now on, although there'll definitely be more underlying couples…I hope that your question about Harry and Draco was clearly answered in the text…I like to infer answers that way.

ScienceGeek101: Wow, glad my story is so appreciated! Just to tell you, but your reviews? Me likey, me loves it!

Megalicious Moony: I'm sorry you lost…I'm sure that you'll improve though! And that your team spirit is tones better. I wasn't really sure about the ending, so I'm really glad that you loved it!

Emeralddragon: I tried to make it as cliché-less as possible, so I'm extremely glad that you liked it!

JadeLily Malfoy: Glad you liked it!

PheonixTear: I thank you for reminding me, although it wasn't necessary…I was feeling guilty all week! I take it as a compliment that me not updating was driving you insane, but apologize again and again!


	7. Envy: Invidia II

* * *

THE SEVEN SINS

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CHAPTER 7: ENVY: INVIDIA II

_In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery and death. Anne Frank._

"Draco!" Harry ran down the stairway, intent upon catching up to the blonde Slytherin he'd spotted from such a distance. The two had been meeting regularly, researching books together to see if they couldn't find something on the awkward peculiarity that had affected their classmates and friends. Hermione had took herself into the library with Ron, and Harry didn't want to destroy their 'alone time'.

Draco turned, only a little surprised. "Harry." He smiled. The two seekers were better friends now, and approximately two days ago, Harry had demanded the other to call him by his first name stating very clearly:

_If we're going to work together to make our friends go back to their nice, normal selves, we might as well call each other normally now._

Draco had smiled and shaken hands on that.

He hadn't missed Harry's whisper afterwards either. It hadn't been hard, when the black-haired Savior had hugged him impulsively, saying quietly "_I'm sorry it's six years too late._"

Draco had hugged him back, then walked off with his back to Harry, saying quietly also, "_It's not too late at all_."

Now they only grinned in greeting, quickly saying the time of the meeting and then hurrying off to their lessons. But both knew subconsciously that neither of them would forget that little episode easily.

A few hours of time found them feverishly opening books and scanning with their eyes, writing any information that seemed fitting down on scraps of paper. Sometimes groaning, o throwing down quills and other objects frustratedly. At those times they would rest, one going to the other and dragging the other down to lie beside them. Looking at each other and breathing. Just breathing…

The first time they had done that had coincidentally been Draco's first time in the Gryffindor common room. Harry hadn't said anything, but the quill that had been thrown across the room had definitely expressed his exasperation. Draco, in turn, hadn't said anything either, simply walking across the carpet and taking Harry's head out of his hands, and, cupping it until he met Draco's gaze, laid it on the floor with his own.

Until the flurry had died out of his eyes and the fever had gone from his cheeks. Harry and thanked him, and Draco had brushed it away.

The favor was quickly returned when Draco had ripped his parchment in half silently.

Now, they laid on the floor, exhausted, Harry's hair spread out on the Gryffindor carpet, lying starfish style, Draco's head resting on his stomach. Suddenly, chimes could be heard as outside, the Gryffindor clock struck twelve. They listened, counting the chimes, Draco feeling the vibrations travel down Harry's abdomen and tickle his hair.

The chimes ended, and the two seekers lay a little longer in silence.

"You should go." Harry spoke softly, as if afraid to ruin the peace of the common room. Draco noticed that he made no effort to move.

"Yes, I should." Draco said. He didn't move.

It was a little while before Harry started getting up, when they shivered at the night air. They were warmer together, after all.

They slipped under the now-familiar Invisibility cloak, draping it over their shoulders. They moved together, accustomed to the other's movements after years of watching, and a few days of awkward brushings.

They bumped into no teachers, although Harry held Draco close at the appearance of a certain Mrs. Norris, his breath brushing Draco's ear, and Draco hugging him back just that little bit closer than necessary.

They moved silently on, both missing the warmth, and soon arrived at the crossroads leading to the Slytherin tower. Harry started moving down the said doorway.

"No, not yet."

Harry waited. He knew there had to be a reason. He hadn't spent all these years planning and plotting against Draco Malfoy to learn absolutely nothing about him.

"There's something I have to do," he explained.

Harry nodded.

A few minutes later, Harry waited outside, as Draco walked three times outside the Room of Requirement. He watched as the gray eyed Slytherin looked at him and gave him a little smile before going in.

Then he settled against the wall for a long wait.

-

Draco walked silently into the darkened room, walking softly so as not to wake it's occupants. He smiled a tad at the Gryffindor red-head leaning uncomfortably against the leg of Dean Thomas' bed. Speaking quietly, he conjured up a blanket.

"_Clojietis Formus."_

He'd just watched the floating blanket settle over the sleeping boy's form, before a hand clapped over his shoulder.

"Who's there?" Draco jumped at the harsh whisper, then turned around. He found himself staring into Blaise Zabini's face.

"Blaise? Is that you? Why are you here? How did you get in?" Draco demanded, whispering.

Blaise, recovering from the shock, replied vehemently. "Why didn't you tell me about her?"

Draco crossed his arms. "I couldn't! Nobody was supposed to know!"

Blaise hissed. "Now, listen Draco, you –"

A small whimper echoed into the air. Blaise turned quickly; racing to what Draco knew was Pansy's bed. He whispered quietly into it.

"Pansy? Don't worry, everything is alright, now you just—"

Draco watched open-mouthed, as one of his fellow Slytherins cooed into one of the cots. He watched, wide-eyed, as one of his best friends since childhood walked back from his other best friend's bed.

Blaise scowled, amber eyes lighting up with a fire that Draco had never seen. He noticed that Blaise had moved to a watchful position outside Pansy's cot, standing in front of it protectively.

"What?" His voice was demanding, possessive. "You're not the only one who can go near here, Draco."

Draco opened his mouth, then shut it. His eyes were still wide, still in shock. Then he calmed down. He watched the little touches, the little gestures. He watched, not a little surprised, as Blaise took a glance at Pansy, his face soft and loving.

"I know."

Blaise looked up, surprise covering his face, before a look of understanding and gratitude was sent to the Malfoy heir.

"You didn't have the right to keep this from me." Blaise spoke in a warning voice. Draco nodded, showing that he knew, and he had comprehended.

They shared a mutual nod, then Blaise went back to his previous post, guarding over Pansy. Draco closed the door behind him quietly.

"Well?" Harry looked at him expectantly, the moonlight shining down on his face, highlighting his hair and making his eyes glow. Draco watched the shards of light play on his face, creating new shadows, bringing new features to light. He noticed that Harry's eyes were the colour of grass at the time of dawn.

He smiled.

"She'll be fine," he whispered. "Shall we?" he questioned, gesturing carelessly with his hands down one of the corridors. Harry dipped his head a little in agreement, and they walked away.

* * *

_**A/N: Thank you for the reviews, people, I appreciate them! Was there something wrong with the previous chapter though? There seemed to be many less reviews this time round. Or is it just that you guys are busy? At any rate, thanks for reading guys!**_

Replies to Reviews: California Smells Funny: Yes, I like Seamus/Dean, although I also like Seamus/Blaise... believe it or not, this was my favorite chapter so far!

Snape Smells: He does? Never knew Snape smelled…is it floral or nutty? Or maybe mint? I'm writing more, I'm writing more!

Evil Farie Queen: Yes, Dean is the uke in the relationship, so Seamus can take care of him. There's going to be a lot of people sleeping in the Room of Requirement…lots of pairings!

Megalicious Moony: If there's one review that definitely always makes me smile, it's yours! Yes, I often turn into mush with HPDM…

Scarlet-muave: Scarlet is one of my favorite colors…though I have plenty! Thanks for the praise…I hope I deserve it!

JadeLilyMalfoy: I am glad that it's unique! I hate it when I see two stories that are exactly the same…


	8. Gluttony: Gula I

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_**THE SEVEN SINS**_

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**CHAPTER 8: GLUTTONY: GULA**

**_He who distingruishes the true savor of his food can never be a glutton; he who does not cannot be otherwise -Henry David Thoreau._  
**

Harry woke up gradually, the sunlight from the window warming him, waking him from his slumber. Throwing an arm up to cover his eyes, grumbling, he spent a few minutes in retrospect of the feeling of Draco's body lying beside his…then sat up smiling.

Although they hadn't found anything remotely close to a cure yet, everyone had been working together. The Slytherins, after seeing one of their own taken, had co-operated with the Gryffindor Trio. This had been especially due to Draco who had openly walked up to Harry's seat a day before, at breakfast. He had simply asked, loudly, what time would Harry be free for study?

Harry had replied calmly –although inside he was feeling inexplicably happy for no reason –that even though he wasn't free for the first two periods, he had a free study afterwards, and how about they meet at his common room?

Draco had then answered that yes, he did have a free then, and yes he did think it would be best if they meet at his common room –he had astronomy straight after and Gryffindor was a little closer to the Tower than Slytherin –which of course was in the dungeons.

They had agreed, politely and then Draco had returned to his respective table, and Harry had continued eating. The two houses had gaped at them.

Not only that, but Harry and Draco had been seeing a lot more of each other than before, both realizing that, apart from Divination –which Draco had dropped unceremoniously one year before –and Arithmancy, they were in every single other class together. Consequently both had assisted each other with their homework –Draco being slightly weaker to Defense of the Dark Arts, having learnt the opposite side of the deal, and Harry being definitely weaker in potions, as he never really dared to ask questions in class.

The school had gradually gotten slightly more used to seeing the two together –although there were still plenty that were not a little disturbed by the picture, and the implications that arose with it. Following the example of one that was one of _the_ most prestigious of their group, the Slytherins had started sitting with others in neighboring houses –although there were still few that sat with the Hufflepuffs, it was still a high achievement to house unity.

So naturally of course, the two boys were later found –after the first two periods, as Harry had said –in the Gryffindor common room. For although many Gryffindors were still quite wary of the Slytherin, their trademark bravery had compelled many of them to accept –and even make friends with –the blonde. This was of course especially so due to the Trio's sphere of influence, which was still incredibly large in the entire school, and their house.

"I can't find anything!" said Harry exasperatedly, going over to the sofa and flopping his body next to the blonde. Draco looked up from the Dark History book he'd been reading, which he too was having trouble to read –mostly due to the illegible spidery writing that peppered the page as much as the grimy dust that lay on top did. "Me neither," he said, sighing. He looked to the raven headed boy next to him. "Let's take a break," he suggested, and Harry nodded. They both needed one anyway.

Harry laid his head back a little, raven strands dripping onto his cheeks like inky brush strokes, caressing his face. He closed his brilliant green eyes, and absently Draco looked on as his breathing evened out, taking note of Harry's dark eye bags.

"You need to sleep," he said, concerned, brushing his hand over the dark, blue-black skin. "You're starting to look like a panda," he said, chuckling, although his forehead was still furrowed in slight worry.

Harry opened his eyes a little, peeping out from under his eyelids. He gave off a yawn, sitting up a little. "Wha–" he said, puzzled, as a pale hand pushed his head gently. He resisted a little, but Draco as insistent, and soon he found himself resting on Draco's soft –yet firm– shoulder.

"Mmm…" The black haired Gryffindor blinked a few times, each time getting slower, until finally his eyes slipped shut, and his breathing slowed. Draco watched him, then stroked Harry's black, black hair, rifting through it, gently untangling, watching as wayward tresses dusted his companion's cheeks.

They sat there for an hour, he playing with the Gryffindor's hair. He hadn't even noticed that Harry had awoken until clear grass green eyes had stared back at him, a hint of a smile at pinkish lips.

"Hey," Draco said, his hand ceasing it's work and descending to his side.

"Hey yourself," said Harry, giving off a small laugh that sent a queer tremor through them both. They smiled. Then Harry shifted, murmuring a quick tempus. Draco looked on, reading the time. He was used to Harry throwing a little wand-less magic everywhere. Quite used to it in fact. He hadn't been when he had seen it at first, but Harry had explained to him that it had been quite natural to him since coming to Hogwarts. In fact, Harry had only stopped throwing little pieces of wand-less magic around when he'd heard that it wasn't actually common in the wizarding world.

Before, Draco would have been jealous. Now he was only touched that Harry had casually did it in front of him –especially since it would have definitely been something to tell the Dark Lord. It showed that Harry trusted him, and he was glad of that.

"Six o'clock." Draco turned towards Harry. "I need to go," he said, clearly reluctant. "I need to get a few things done before going down to dinner."

Harry nodded. "I'll go with you," he said, saying it casually. They both knew that it was a tentative offer though, but Draco quickly eased the tension in Harry's shoulders by nodding, a large grin already on his face.

"Sure." An answering grin, and both started to clear up the various parchments and books spread out all over the room –everyone else seemed to have free study period elsewhere in the week, and the common room had been empty when they'd first arrived.

A few minutes later saw the two boys walk towards the Slytherin common room, brainstorming ideas, throwing them back and forth, outlining flaws. Harry had been discussing the varied colors of the victims' eyes –the range had covered so far, blue for Professor Binns, green for Dean, purple for Ginny and even yellow for Pansy. Truly Draco hadn't thought of it before, but he questioned whether they'd actually see the change before or after the victim was 'infected'.

The banter lasted until they turned a corner and Draco had abruptly stopped.

"Mrs. Norris," Draco said, shocked, watching the cat continue gobbling down the confectionary in front of it.

They watched in ultimate horror as the black cat chewed on as guar quill, her tummy protruding upwards like a small mountain. An eye looked at them lazily as she did so, the color not anything like her normal green, but a bright fiery orange.

"Oh my gosh," Draco said slowly, breaking the silence. Harry noticed that he still had that rather shocked look on his face –the same one he knew was on his own. He'd forgotten that it was Tuesday.

He watched, frozen, as the blonde reached towards the grown cat.

"_Hssstt!_" Mrs. Norris swept a paw towards him, claws extended. Draco shrank away quickly. The black cat tried to turn over, eyes narrowed in fury, but only managed to lie on her stomach, legs flailing in mid air.

Draco backed away, shaking his head with bewildered fear and they turned, running away. "They've all gone insane," said the blonde, shaking his head frantically from side to side.

Harry nodded, still panting a little as they stopped right outside the Slytherin common room. The stood there, waiting until their breathing slowed.

Harry looked up. "We've got to solve this thing soon."

Draco only nodded.

* * *

**_A/N: Sorry this was late. There is no excuse for this; I should have updated on Thursday; which was the day that I could finally connect to However, recently I have joined a thing called nanowrimo, short for national novel writing month: you write a 50, 000 word novel in one month: this month, November. I have to write 1667 words every day and frankly I'll be really, really happy when it's over. That was my excuse. I am not going to beg for forgiveness because I too know that that wasn't reasonable, but I am updating now._**

Responses to Reviewers: The best part I believe is the lie: Love the name, but as you can see, this is not over, especially considering the fact that I haven't gone through the entire thing. And if that was an ending I denounce my writing. Effective immediately.

Emeralddragon: I don't want them romanticizing that way so soon. I don't like random guys to start kissing me just because I've talked to them for a while. Draco should be ten times more picky than I am, so I'm building this gradually. You will see making out. Trust me.

JadeLilyMalfoy: I just wanted to know because the number of reviews were about the same until the last chapter, so I was just wondering. Here's the next one! The next, next one will be next, next Monday.

Megalicious Moony: The reading minds thing is a big thing for me; I love analyzing people's behaviors, it's a pet thing of mine. One of the things I'd imagine the 'love of my life' would be like, is that he would be able to communicate to me without words. Many of my friends can do that with me, and I think a higher level of that would be with whoever is my lover. That's naturally of course, if I ever find them, but I hope I do! 

Aseret Kitsune: Hope you keep loving it!

Evil Farie Queen: I know that nobody went bonkers in this chapter. This is because if someone went nuts in each chapter I'd have no chapters to put in the mushy stuff, and the plot would have to be squeezed into one paragraph. Which I do not want to do! I want this to be as best as it can be, if not for me and my sanity (I check this thing many times, despite the weird spelling mistakes, please believe me) then for you guys.

Clayscarface: I don't know if I've said this before to another author/authoress. It's because I'm writing two stories right now, and one's not HP (as most of the people who have added me to their author alerts should know!). I can't write long chapters because I CAN but it won't be good quality as I tend to drag my chapters to the required length instead of just increasing the content. That's because I know relatively how it begins, and how it ends, but only vaguely what happens in the middle. But thank you for the compliments; for the record, I've only gone out with one guy, and yes, I agree with you –although he was a jerk, I liked lying on him too!

California smells funny: I find it funny that you put that; since this is practically the only chapter I REALLY dedicated to plot thickening. There's more coming up though!

Hirel Moon: What kind of fics are you reading! I can provide you with good slash fics: **_I recently wrote a list of my favorite HP fics that are absolutely gorgeous. If anyone wants a copy, TELL ME NOW!_**


	9. Gluttony: Gula II

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_**THE SEVEN SINS**_

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** CHAPTER 2: GLUTTONY: GULA II**

_I am not a glutton -- I am an explorer of food._ - Erma Bombeck

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

Footsteps echoed down the empty hallway. The person turned the corner, running, running. His eyes large and wide, dilated with fear.

"You can't run away forever." The voice seemed to come from nowhere and the person looked around him, his running getting faster, more desperate.

_No. No, no, no, no,_ no.

Then the steps merged into one and the person fell, screaming, screaming…

Harry woke up. He was sweating lightly, and fumbling for his wand, he did a quick swish-and-flick.

"_Lumos_!" A sudden flash emitted from his wand, and hastily he calmed his magic a little. His power often fluctuated whenever he was frightened, and right now he wasn't feeling at all at peace.

Knowing that he wouldn't fall asleep again –and knowing that if he appeared at the kitchens then the elves would wake up and rush around cooking things for him even if it was –he looked at the muggle watch on his wrist -4 a.m. in the morning.

_Well, I might as well go out for a bit_. He sighed, then headed to the bathroom to dress, an expert at silence.

He was walking out of the dorm when he decided to go out towards the outside, and watch the sun rise. It was already five a.m. but he knew that the school woke up at seven, so there was no hurry.

He was halfway to the lake when he saw Draco walk out from the Slytherin dungeons. Smiling, he crept up to the Slytherin, silent as a cat, before pouncing, hands on his shoulders.

"YEEK!" Draco yelped, snatching off Harry's arms and spinning around, eyes wide. HE breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that it was Harry. "Do not scare me like that, Potter!" he said, placing a hand on his chest and unconsciously using Harry's last name again.

"Aww…was little Draco _scared_?" teased Harry gently. He smiled at his companion. "Why'd you call me Potter for? I thought we had a deal, _Malfoy_," he said with a childish mock-sniff. He turned away pointing his nose in the air.

Two arms wrapped around his waist, and his own ones fell from their crossed position as his eyes widened in slight disbelief. A head propped itself on his shoulder, and instantly he was glad that Draco was facing his back, for he was suddenly blushing.

"I'm sorry, forgive me?" Draco said softly, sweetly. His grey eyes were just that little bit worried, and Harry quickly turned around, hugging Draco back.

"Hey, I was only joking," he said, pulling back. He hadn't let his arms go though, but funnily enough Draco hadn't protested, so Harry figured it'd be okay.

Draco cocked his head to the side, letting his blonde hair obscure his eyes a little. Harry would have found the expression adorable, but he liked seeing Draco's eyes, so he tucked the hair behind Draco's ear. "Just in case," Draco said shyly.

Harry smiled, then remembered the time. "Why are you up so early?" he asked.

"I had a nightmare," answered Draco. "You?" he asked.

"Same," said Harry, surprised. "Was it bad?" he asked, with concern. Draco seemed a little jittery, although he'd only noticed it now, and he smacked himself on the head inside for not noticing sooner.

"A little," said Draco reluctantly. Harry gave him a long look, then hugged him once more –hard– before he let go.

"Come on, I'll show you the place where I train." Draco smiled, almost like a little child, and Harry was glad that he had said what he had. He tugged on the blonde's smaller hand, already walking –fast –to his little place.

Although occasionally he trained near the Whomping Willow, it was mostly because when he needed some defence practice all he needed to do was get closer. But his favourite training place was a little garden South of the castle, and it was here that he was taking Draco.

When they arrived, and Harry looked expectantly at his companion –still holding his hand, Draco gasped.

The entire thing was really, gorgeously simple, and everything was randomly placed –yet seemed to fit together. Three little rock pools were in the area; one with white, white roses curling up a cherry blossom tree as green grass swept the surroundings; one with three maple trees in full autumn splendour at the left hand corner, and one with striking, stunning flowers of all kinds blooming everywhere.

It was almost like the four seasons…except…

Draco looked at Harry, speaking before thinking about what he was saying. "Where's the winter one?" Then, he blushed. Winter one! He didn't even know if the pools represented the seasons.

But Harry only smiled.

"It's in the other field. The season that's currently in is always reflected in the bigger area…to show it's precedence over the others at the particular time," he explained gently. "Let's go!" he said, eyes lighting up. For the moment, just for the moment, the details of the five victims was gone out of his mind, and they ran, giggling, towards the fourth pool.

"Wow," Draco gaped in wonder at the brilliant sight that greeted them.

The pond was completely frozen over, and it was surrounded by white. Snow was falling out of the sky softly, and Harry grinned suddenly as he noticed two pairs of ice skates sitting patiently at the edge of the petite lake. Draco followed his eyes, and gaped even more. "How did it know?"

Harry turned to look at him, both still not noticing that they were holding hands. "It's sort of like the Room of Requirement…" he explained. "In fact, they're kind of like relatives –the same family made them."

Draco looked at him, bewildered. "Family?"

Harry looked at him, amused. "Never read _Hogwarts: A History_ did you?" At Draco's embarrassed shake of the head, he laughed. "Hermione forced me to. TI basically says that the castle started off somewhat small: there were only going to be a selection of people coming here, and Rowena figured that they'd better try out the school first to see if anybody came. When people came, they made more rooms, but when war came along, they needed still more." Harry paused for breath. "So they told each and every family that they would have shelter in the castle as long as they did not hurt anyone else in the castle, whether outside or inside of it. But that they had to make their own rooms." Harry smiled. "That's why they're more rooms that we need everywhere in the castle. And that's why some teachers feel better in some rooms than others –most likely their ancestors made the room and placed protection charms over it that would protect that certain family and give them more privacy as well."

Draco looked at Harry in awe, and Harry scratched his head. "Eh, small history lesson there! Must have been boring you so badly…" He looked away, flushing a little.

"No," and Harry looked at the blonde in surprise. "Not at all." Harry smiled, the pulled him over to where the skates were.

"Come on!" And they rush over to the skates, tying them on, and then zooming out onto the ready-made ice rink. They laughed, playing a tiny game of tag until they were tired.

"Let's go back," said Harry, looking at his watch. "It's nearly time anyway." They headed towards the edge of the pool and Harry started untying his laces. Draco moved out of the pool, but as he was bending over, tripped over a tiny rock.

"Aaah!" Harry looked up, startled, just in time to see the blonde fall into him, making them both get a mouthful of snow. Spitting the cold mixture out of their mouths, they sat up. Then flushed. Draco was still sitting on Harry's lap. Then both laughed a little, settling a little more comfortably in the snow, while trying to hid their deliberate slowness from the other. Breakfast could wait.

"You've got snow in your hair." Harry smiled, picking pieces of snow out of Draco's hair, and in turn Draco let his blonde strands fall from his ears.

"Yeah, well, so do you. It's been snowing!" Draco said, rolling his eyes good-naturedly and swatting away Harry's hand –even though he liked the feeling of Harry's hand in his hair. He got up, albeit reluctantly, and pulled Harry to his feet.

"Come on! We've got waffles today!" He said, hiding his disappointment as Harry pulled his hand away from his. He had rather hoped that the same thing of holding hands would happen on the way back again. He started walking away, but was stopped by a pressure on his arm.

Harry pulled him towards him, hugging him, then pulled away smiling. Draco caught his breath, then grinned brilliantly. "I had a good time," Harry said softly. "I'd like to come again with you some day."

Draco's grin grew larger. "Then I will. Come again, I mean," he said hastily.

They both smiled, and then headed back towards the castle.

There were waffles that day after all.

* * *

Responses to Reviews: Swordmasterk14: Thanks for the compliment! Yes, I feel they fit together too.

California smells funny: I love your name. I know I said that before, but let's say it again! It always makes me laugh, but also makes me smile, because it makes me wonder what kind of person you are and I always imagine you as a very interesting, humorous person with sarcasm.

Megalicious Moony: It's funny that we're reading each other's stories, but then again it helps us both, right? Lol…And I've finished my novel! Now I just need to edit it!

Evil Farie Queen: Thanks for the encouragement I've finished it now! Lol…hope you like this chapter just as much.

JadeLilyMalfoy: Hi! You're another frequent reviewer…I always recognise these names! Thank you for the cheerleading thing…you guys were so supportive that I just had to finish it on time!

Aseret Kitsune: Yes, the cat's gluttony! Did you expect that? If anyone's wondering, I'm trying to get a whole selection of characters… ghost, teacher, female, male, animal, Gryffindor, younger person, Slytherin… so that you guys realise that it's the _whole_ school. However, you will realise that throughout my fics I never really love inventing new characters, so I've used ones that everyone is familiar with… or at least have heard of Thanks for your approval! I wrote extra fast because you guys were supporting me!

Psycho Rooster: your NAME made my day!

ScienceGeek101: Lol, updated. Yes, that was part of the reason for this fic! To warn you about the sins…

TheSecretCharacter: My writing's exquisite? I feel honoured. It's never been described that way before. And as a person I am hardly exquisite. I am clumsy, and I am disorganised, and I fall over things. Enough said.

Julia: Hi, um… I'd like to say thank you for the reviews, but I'll just say thank you for the first few. The thing is, I'm very sorry to say, that I update every 2 weeks and that I don't generally update faster for reviewers. If I can, I will. More reviews are nice, but they don't necessarily make me update since I would still update if there was only one person reviewing my work. Ever heard of the story of a beautiful dancer in a bar? Nobody came to watch her, but as soon as one person came and sat down, she danced as if she was dancing for a hundred people –in other words she was trying her best. I do that too. I never… well, usually never go over this time limit, but I don't update in two days. Or a week, since now I have exams and internal assessments in my school going on. I do author's notes for a reason –so please check them. Even if I usually just put excuses and things in them, sometimes there is just _some_ useful information there. These are usually underlined, in **bold**, and in _Italics_ to attract your attention to them just in case you don't want to read the rest of the crap I put up there. So yeah. But thank you for reviewing!


	10. Lust: Luxuria I

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**_THE SEVEN SINS_**

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**CHAPTER 10: LUST: LUXURIA I**

_**Lust's passion will be served; it demands, it millitates, it tyrannises. Marquis De Sade. **_

"Ron."

Roll over.

"_Ron_."

Snort.

"Ronald Weasley, get out of bed NOW!"

Ron jumped out of bed, now rendered completely awake at the sound of his mother's voice. He then found himself standing up next to his bed facing his best friends, and he scratched his head in confusion.

"…told you that his mom's voice would wake him up."

"Never thought of that, actually, thanks!" Ron crossed his arms, tapping his foot grouchily as he watched both Hermione and Harry discussing wake-up methods. For him.

Harry turned to him, waving a little, saying brightly "Glad you're awake, Ron, breakfast starts in ten minutes." Ron span around, and seeing the clock, instantly forgave his best friends, while rushing to get his robes on.

And remembering at the exact same moment who exactly was in the room. "Hermione!" he screeched, turning around and grabbing a blanket hastily to cover himself. Harry chuckled at Ron's completely maniacal way of dressing himself, and turned towards their female friend in humor. And stopped laughing at the lack of response.

There was a pause. Harry and Ron froze, somehow understanding that the atmosphere around the three had suddenly changed. Then…

"Why cover yourself?" Hermione's voice contained darkness, and it was velvety and cool, nothing like her usual friendly warmth, and instinctively the boys went nearer to each other.

"Shit!" hissed Harry, drawing his wand out instinctively. "She's one of them!"

Ron too, grabbed his wand, both of them moving so that each covered one another's backs. He narrowed his eyes, somehow incredibly furious at this sudden turnover of events. "What have you done with Hermione?"

She didn't answer, only smirked, swaying –Ron's shoulders tensed a fraction more; Hermione _never_ swayed, she walked sensibly –towards him.

He gripped his wand tighter.

"What have you done with Hermione!"

"Nothing," she said, and she was close enough that she was almost touching his skin. "Nothing at all, _Ronald_, I am Hermione."

He pushed her away forcefully, although something inside of him still balked at doing anything forceful to this girl that two seconds ago had been his 'Mione.

"When did she change?" Ron whispered this harshly and Harry didn't blame him. They certainly didn't foresee _this_ one coming, and this was Ron's girlfriend, as well as their best friend.

"I don't know. Right after we woke you up." Harry looked at Hermione worriedly. When _had_ she changed? It couldn't have taken very long and it couldn't have been very noticeable if they had been in the same _room_.

"Well, whenever she changed, get her out of the room!" Ron said blanket still clenched to his body. Harry, still in a somewhat shocked state, moved to escort the girl out of the room. Instead, she moved a hand into his face.

"No need. I'll go myself." She turned, with a stately elegant air, that was so dreadfully like the Hermione that they knew. Then she turned, and winked before disappearing from the room altogether.

Harry and Ron looked after her, horrified. Then Harry uttered the one word that summarized everything that they had felt since the start of this morning.

"_Shit_."

-

When lunch time had _finally_ rolled over, Ron had finally managed to put Hermione into the Room of Requirement –using a good deal of persuasion and many, many deals.

By the time it was mid-day one distressed Harry had somehow told Draco the entire story, and both were mulling over it, when Ron, who was in front of them –and who had been silent throughout the day –suddenly stopped. They gave each other a mutual look, withdrawing their wands; they weren't about to take any chances with anything, what with the things that had taken place so far.

When they had stepped out and away from behind Ron, their holds loosened.

A brown, bushy haired girl stood in front of the three boys, a smug, smug grin curving her lips.

Hermione –no, the –possessed Hermione had escaped from the Room of Requirement. Thankfully she hadn't freed anybody else; otherwise they'd have had a time of it, but she had escaped.

This girl, this _thing_ was just as smart as Hermione. Just as clever. Just as ingenious. Just as potentially dangerous.

"What, how, I-" Ron spluttered helplessly, as he held out his arms in a show of vulnerability.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I decided that the deals weren't worth it."

She walked towards them, her stance of a predatorial big cat, waiting to pounce. Harry and Draco backed away; Ron held still in his stand. With a quick movement she was holding onto him, as he tried to pry her fingers off of him.

Unbaffled, she turned to the other two standing away from him, noting idly the strong red strings of ribbons winding around them. Sniggering.

"What are you laughing at?" Draco demanded roughly.

"Nothing." She said, mocking them with her mischievous, enigmatic smile.

"Tell us!" Draco said, his tone insisting, commanding.

She giggled, dangerously, as she clasped her arms around Ron again. The red head's posture freezing, still as a stone. "You don't realize, do you?" she asked, at last, stilling her laughter and looking at the two of them. Her eyes were glinting like knives, the eyes of one who knew the world and whose soul had not survived it.

Harry stepped in front of Draco impulsively –Draco's heart beat a little faster. "Realize what?" he said, and his voice was fierce, almost…_protective_, the one who was currently Hermione noticed amusedly.

"Realize that you both feel the same way, of course," she said, coolly, almost in an _uninterested_ voice. She was running her fingertips along Ron's arm. Watching as the red ribbons, crimson in colour, wound tighter and tighter around the two boys in front of her, gliding over their skin.

Harry's voice faltered that slightest little bit when he answered, but he recovered nicely. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Draco's heart dropped back down again.

"You know what I'm talking about. You! You're feeling what I feel for Ron." She watched as the ribbons faded a little more as the blonde looked a little more dejected, and leaned closer to Harry, her lips almost touching his ear. Whispering. "Just act upon it."

Then she was back in Ron's arms again, her eyes gloating, taunting him. And Harry was looking after her, gaping, even as he still stood in front of Draco. He hadn't even noticed Draco pulling out his wand behind him, furious that the girl had even come close to harming _Harry_.

"_Sternius!"_

Hermione flew back with a slight crack, locked against the floor. Ron, open-mouthed, span around.

"What did you do that for?" he said, harshly.

"Getting her away from Harry!" Draco said heatedly. Ron pressed several of his fingers to his head, as if trying to push down the headache that was pressing down on his brain.

"Just… just get away, will you?" said Ron tiredly. "Please, just get away."

Draco made to protest, but Harry tugged on his arm, and with a mutual look, they melted away down the corridors. Ron looked after them for a bit, but then turned to face the girl that he had made such steadfast friends with in first year, and who was now his girlfriend, the one that he loved. She had sat up, and was already getting up to a stand, brushing the dust away from her robes. Coming towards her, he offered a hand and pulled her up. She using the opportunity to clasp onto him.

Not withstanding the hands still on his waist, he pushed her away so that she wasn't sticking onto him quite so heavily.

She huffed, as he turned away from her attempted kisses. Finally hissing:

"You know you want me. Why are you not doing anything?" Ron looked down at her, and for a second, just for a tiny second he saw Hermione. The real Hermione. His Hermione.

"Because this is not you." Softly, firmly, he lifted her arms from around his waist, pushing her away from him. "No matter what you say, or what you do, that is so like Hermione, Hermione would never do this, so this is not you! _This is not Hermione!_"

She stared at him, the brown eyes that for the whole day had been luring him, tempting him. That were now empty, yet full, so similar to the eyes that he loved.

Then she turned around. He looked after her, expression blank.

Then: "Wait, where are you going?" he ran after her frantically. She stopped, then turned again. She smiled.

"Back to the Room of Requirement, of course." With a mild toss of her head, she walked forwards yet again, and upon Ron's face fluttered a smile. He ran towards her, and she slipped her hand under his arm, letting him escort her.

By the next day everything would be different again.

* * *

**_A/N: Happy Christmas Eve guys! As a gift and an apology for all I've put you through, check in tomorrow for a surprise. Oh, and the fav fics lsit I promised you all wil be up with that 'surprise' tommorrow as well._**

Responses to Reviews: California Smells Funny: Perhaps I was too jet-lagged the first time I went. Or maybe Sacremento just has better air. I'm not too sure! It didn't smell funnyto me, but then again I live in Hong Kong, and that's as 'funny' as you can get. Except I can tell you you won't be laughing when you have a bout of CO2 up your nose.

clayscarface: You call that a quickie? I call that slow, detailed, and completely specific! Thank you for the Hogwarts: A history thing, I DID take some creative license there (ducks as all the publishers jump and stampede me to tiny little pieces), but I figured that the Room had to come otu of somewhere, and naturally, SOMEONE had to make all those rooms! I don't think The Four had THAT much time on their hands. As for Mrs. Norris, that was a scene that was stuck in my head even before the entire fic was started, so I'm afraid the chapter just couldn't change! I'm sorry that you didn't seem to like the part, but I hope you just take it as if it were a failed experiment on my behalf!

Megalicious moony: I'm just thinking about what on earth to make for the cover! Lol, but thank you for the offer. I'm wondering how I'm goign to do so much, becauseI've put myself in a fix. I've doen all my schoolwork, btu now I've got to do all my fics today!

The Ersaj Chroncles: Why, thank you I'm going to India this week, so I won't be able to eat Western food for quite a while! Could you possibly email me the pictures? I'd love to see them:)

The one and only ZARIA: I'll take your word for the name. Lol, everyone's minds go into the gutter once in a while... (coughs). And I'm updating now! sorry, it wasn't soon.

Evil Farie Queen: Yes, I made it up! Yuo seriously thought it wasn't? Wow. I feel complimented!

Aseret kitsune: I love the pools too! The fact that Mrs. Norris was Gluttony was just basically something I'd though of since the beginnint, so I had to get it in!

Neverbird: I consider MYSELf lucky that you guys bumpernto my story! It's quite funny, my favorite c2 actually added my story onto the list, and I found it rather strange to see it. I didn't even recognise it at first, until I actually started reading the prologue! At elast now I know the summary isn't that bad -.-U

Julia: I'm so sorry that I didn't know. It's jsut that I get very frustrated when people push me to update! I'm already trying so hard to ba;ance everything, you see, and I geniunely try to get everything in on time. I hope you like this chapter!

TheSecretCharacter: I adore slash too! You so don't want to know how much I read.

emeralddragonchild: I know! Blonde against black, almsot yin and yang. sighs happily.

JJ CJ: Snake eyes or even Somewhere Out There would be nice...aha! You didn't know I read CCS did you? I think I read your stories before actually... I really did love S O T... I try not to get characters to rush into relationships simpyl because I would never never do the same. It's just quite impossible for me. I fall for guy friends, but never really people I completely do not know.

JadeLilyMalfoy: That's fine! I don't know cheers myself! It's enough for me to see a review alert in my inbox!

Dark Angel's Blue Fire: Glad you liked it. There are so many reviewers for this chapter! I'm amazed! I'm honoured you think it's brilliant!

ImpishyNymph: Naturally, I will! It'll be up tomorrow, as I said. Happy Christmas Eve!


	11. Lust: Luxuria II

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**THE SEVEN SINS**

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_**CHAPTER 11: LUST: LUXURIA II**_

**_A bit of lusting after someone does wonders for the skin -Elizabeth Hurley._**

The day that Hermione had been 'weirdified' as the twins had called it, Harry had spent much of his time on his bed that night tossing and turning. Hermione's words were flip flopping over and over in his mind, swirling in his conscious thoughts and appearing vividly in his subconscious ones.

"_You don't realize, do you?"_

"_Realize what?"_

"_Realize that you both feel the same way, of course,"_

Was he falling for Draco? If he was…would the blonde accept it?

All those questions, that invaded his each and every private thought, circled around those two, paraphrasing, summarizing, and translating it into different forms. But the meaning was the same.

Draco couldn't sleep either.

He had had no idea either about why Hermione –the _new_ Hermione, that is– was looking at him in such a queer manner. The way that her eyes circled around his form, as if following something… he shivered.

And her words…her words that she had said to Harry…

The Harry that he had once thought he could call his own…

Was it still possible? Was it still possible that he could still have Harry, even after what had been said and done that very day?

Draco rolled over in his bed.

Harry had said very clearly that he hadn't known what Hermione was talking about –and Harry was very dense sometimes. Perhaps he really hadn't known?

Yet his tone had given him away –it felt as if Harry had known. Surely, then, Draco thought miserably, that it meant he had no chance?

But what if Harry had known…and he had been hiding his true feelings? Scared that Draco would not reciprocate? Just like Draco was scared of Harry not reciprocating his feelings for him?

Draco groaned aloud. At this rate, he'd never sleep.

He imagined in his head, wrapping all his problems in emerald green ribbon and silver paper and throwing it all away, into a large dark hole. Then he went to sleep.

Ignoring how the colours of the ribbon had matched Harry's eyes.

-

When the sun shone in just the right way, the roses would look almost transparent.

Ever since Harry had told him that they would be able to change the landscape whenever they wanted to –as long as, of course, it fitted the season –and fallen asleep, Draco had been doing just that. He'd been experimenting with the scenery as the brunette in his lap slept.

So far, the entire landscape looked completely frosty, although both he and Harry were wrapped in scarves and warming spells. Ice roses wound their way up different tress and branches, curving their way like vines and decorating everything.

Both he and Harry hadn't slept well and they had known as soon as they had seen each other at breakfast. Harry had insisted on dragging Draco back to the rock pools to rest...and so they had done so...but Draco hadn't slept.

Draco sighed, cradling the dark head belonging to no other than Harry Potter, his nemesis-turned friend. It was strange how events had turned out; he had never expected the sudden change of status between him and Harry. He had never even contemplated growing as close to Harry as he was now, never contemplated the fact that Harry could possibly trust him one day. Trust him enough that he would lie, sleeping in his arms without any scruples in doing so.

In his arms…

Unconsciously Draco held Harry closer.

Somehow, he wished that Harry wasn't just his friend. That he would somehow, someday, be something more. He ran his hands through the raven tufts of hair –Harry had once told him that he slept well when his hair was in strands, and not lumped together in tufts. When they were in tufts it often meant that he hadn't slept well at all, not matter how he combed, brushed, or gelled.

He thought some more, just as the sun started rising to the middle of the sky. It was a Saturday, but not a Hogsmeade one, and the students, therefore, stayed at the school wandering about. He contemplated, before a stirring in his lap let him know that Harry was waking.

"You haven't slept," Harry said, reproachfully. Sleepily, he reached up with his arms, with his hands, and rubbing the dark circles under grey, silverish eyes. Groggily, he pushed himself up, Draco helping him, then reversed their positions. Draco, who had been about to protest, found his tired, aching head lying on Harry's lap. Breathing in Harry's scent, he found himself loosening his shoulders, and closing his eyes…

Harry leant down, smiling at the adorable sight of Draco snuggling into the warmth of his body. Brotherly, he kissed Draco's forehead…then, hesitatingly, he kissed Draco….this time on his lips.

Draco had been on the brink of sleep when he had felt Harry kiss his forehead. He had smiled, inwardly, painfully, wishing it had meant more…then, he had felt Harry kiss him on the lips, softly…lovingly, like he cared. He had been startled awake for a few seconds…then, after fluttering his eyes open and having grey look at green and green look at grey…he fell asleep, still in Harry's arms, still in Harry's arms…

"Love you too," Draco murmured drowsily, softly, before falling back into slumber. And Harry, whose eyes glowed a light, sunlit-moss green, smiled, and leaned down saying: "Sleep well, my love."

In the Room of Requirement, brown eyes snapped open.

-

When Ron had returned from a detention from one Professor Snape, he had expected to be greeted by a warm, roaring fire, red and gold walls, and a sadness that accompanied a common room without Hermione. He had not quite bargained for a greeting by a warm, roaring fire, red and gold walls, and a common room with one _smirking_ Hermione Granger.

For a moment, his heart sang as only lovers' could, and his mouth started turning into a smile. Until he remembered what had happened, and wondered if this Hermione was his. His Hermione.

And then she was walking towards him, _swaying_ towards him, and sitting herself on his lap. And he had allowed her, hypnotised by her eyes.

Hermione's eyes were dark, chocolate brown, seductive, but not warm. Only cool, like metal.

_She was running her leg along his, brushing her fingertips down the slope of his neck, and along his shoulders and…_

He sat up, pushing her from his lap.

_What was she doing? She had been normal just yesterday! Why was she doing this?_

Frantically, he tried pushing her off his lap, and failed. She was stronger than the day before, and her eyes had contained nothing. Contained nothing of the slight return of warmth that they had had just one day before. Something had happened, and it had sucked her down into that _thing_…Anger rose in his chest as he remembered, and pain. For this was not Hermione…

He tried again and succeeded. Holding her wrists together, he quickly dragged her up, towards the Room of Requirement.

_I wish for something that can hold Hermione in here, I wish for something that can hold Hermione in here. _

He held her in place, knowing that, even if he didn't want to see this, didn't want to do this to her, he had to. As the walls somehow contorted, throwing strings around her body, Ron watched as Hermione seemed to scream.

"Don't hurt her!" he said, suddenly, frightened that they would; no matter what form Hermione took, no matter what kind of things she did, he still cared for her. He still loved her.

As the walls finally settled, binding a furious Hermione to the wall, he grinned sadly, like a clown whose very face behind the make-up, behind the act, was crying.

Then, he went forwards and kissed her on the forehead, as a friend would. As he would have done when he had been younger.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear, before he left, and then he was gone, out of the Room. He knew Hermione would have been humiliated if he had stayed; although he took his station outside the door.

He owed Hermione that much.

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_**A/N: I am sorry that this is so late. These days all I seem to do it apolgise to my poor reviewers. However, there is one thing that I will definitely not do whenever I put up a fanfic, and that is abandon it...unless of course, I am in a coma, or anything as bad, I will not do such a thing. **_

_**If one must look for excuses/reasons, I suppose you must blame the fact that I did have bronchitus, and that I had it for 2 months, that it got more serious during Christmas, and that because of this my parents' overprotective streak concerning my health was aroused. I had to sleep at 8 pm/7 pm every night. I tried what I think was every single antibiotic adn every single Chinese herbal medicine on the planet. After this, you would think that I had had a break...apparently not, as I was then forced to relent to a computer that broke down the total of 3 times during the last month. With which in every time it broke down, my chapters were lost. The 4th time it broke down was yesterday, but fortunately common sense told me to save it on the following: all 5 emails, my ipod, the computer, the school's computer, and my broken down laptop. **_

_**I used the ipod one: the school computer decided to delete my file.**_

_**I sincerely hope that you all enjoyed 'Santa Baby', which was my Christmas present to you, as well as accepting my apolgies for everything. I will be updating a one-shot soon just for you guys as well...it happens to make me cry.**_

_**Thanks. Every 2 week schedule will continue from now on...updates on Thursdays. **_

_**P.S, if the ending seems wonky, i'm sorry...I had to writ it twice...and I promise that after tis chapter I will try nto to say so many sorrys!**_

Replies to Reviewers: Megalicious Moony: Well, the surprise was 'Santa Baby' as I said...I hope you all had a better Christmas than I did...at least health-wise. I've finished my novel, and though not my best quality, I am very proud of it!

Intangible Lollipop: Thank you. I hope you keep reviewing.

JJCJ: I'm actually an agnostic, so I wouldn't have been able to decide between any of those. I am personalyl leaning towards Christianity though. I find it quite weird and terrifying that there are no flames for my fics yet...it's actually quite remarkable. I can only say that you are all very nice!

Aseret Kitsune: I wondered if anyone would guess Hermione...I'm pretty sure no one did! However, I'm glad I gave you a surprise!

Evil Faerie Queen: I'm glad that you even like it! I find it rather amusing though, that you tell em you liek ti right after commenting that it's getting even more complicated...rigth now I'm wishing for more sins, because I'm going to have to do a lot in the next 'fic-time 2 weeks'.

clayscarface: Long time no read! At least, me reading the reviews anyway. As you can see...they took the advice alright, but I bet that it was an unconventional way to get together! I have even worse humor, so no problem...I'm afraid that the next one won't be Ron though...I wonder if any of you can guess who it is? It's someone rather important... I didn't quite realise you were counting down!

JadeLilyMalfoy: Really? I always thought it was just in the fanfic world that she was so seductive..I was thinking that when she'd grow older she'd become a real knockout...both academically and ..well, in the real context.

Dark Angel's Blue Fire: Thank you! I hope your opinion extends to this one as well!

SwordMasterk14: I am sorry your had to wait so long for this one! But it's here!

ImpishyNymph: Don't worry too much about Ron. I put him in angst only to show a different side to him that everyone else sees in the HPDM fics -which is either the super negative, or the I am gay too!. I've rarely seen a mature Ron well written. Having said that, it's been increasing nowadays, so maybe I will take back that comment in the future.

Persephone-Butterfly: Yes, this chapter's dedicated to you. I hope you liked it! I'll give you a clue about their..er..situation. They aren't possessed. But thank you for the well wishes with the holiday.

Julia: Well, I couldn't leave HPDM out of the summary. I was rather worried that a bunch of flamers would attack my fic, and say that it was complete rubbish, then attack my house. I'm afraid we don't have fire insurance over here. But yes, apart from that I hoped you loved this chapter, because it had HPDM action!

The one and only ZARIA: I'm updating! I shall apologise profusely again! This whole thnig will end in about two months by the way.

Katsy15: Again, thank you very much for your comment!


	12. Sloth: Acedia I

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**_**THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS**

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_**CHAPTER 12: SLOTH ACEDIA I**_

_Thou seest how sloth wastes the sluggish body, as water is corrupted unless it moves.  
Ovid__**  
**_

Harry sighed, as he stared into incredibly familiar pale, pale white. It didn't take a genius to know where he was, and although he didn't exactly absorb knowledge like Hermione seemed to do, he _did_ know where he was.

He was in the infirmary.

He'd broken his left arm and left leg when he'd fallen out of a tree. It had been so fragmented that Pomfrey had to do what Lockhart had done accidentally: dissappear the bone and grow it back again. Normally Harry wasn't careless –and this, though it wasn't normal, was not a freak accident of Harry's clumsiness. Harry and Draco's relationship had gone public for a while now; and the Slytherins had finally found out that the relationship was actually going to last. That it was not one of Draco's tricks to get a lay and then to get more information about Pansy. It wasn't even about getting his revenge on Potter at last. It was about a pure relationship –and once the Slytherins got hold of that piece of information, the house had been divided.

The majority still supported Draco. However, there was still a minority that did not, and this was the group that had attacked Draco that afternoon.

Yes, Draco. Not Harry.

Harry and Draco had been sitting on a tree the minute that they had heard the hex flying their way. The Incendio had been aimed at Draco, but thankfully, Harry had pushed him out of the way, towards the trunk, and the hex had flown clear, burning a small patch of rather dry grass.

Harry however, had not been so fortunate. He had knocked himself clear off the tree in his (successful) attempt to save Draco, and had landed on his left side.

Draco, who had been completely furious, had wasted no time in binding the three fifth-years and calling Snape. The Potions Master, upon seeing Harry, had summoned a bed, placed Harry onto it, and levitated it to the infirmary –where he was now.

While Harry had been there, he'd thought about many things –as he had been commanded by Madame Pomfrey to stay in the ward until he had regrown his bones back.

And the few things he had covered had centered themselves around the incidents in the past seven weeks, including the rather uncomfortable feeling he had had the week before they had started. For some reason he had not got rid of the feeling that something important had happened that night…

And it had been strange that the day before _that_, everyone had apparently had the same dream…

And he wondered about the effects that the victims actually were in. They had only seemed changed in one aspect, one aspect that they were each completely obsessed on –it was almost as if they were still the same person –yet not; and this made everything all the more scary.

Today was Tuesday and today's victim hadn't appeared yet…Harry and the others were in so much suspense that they were shaking –they all agreed that it was better just to _know_.

Then the bone in his arm started growing back, and he stopped thinking, gritting his teeth in pain. Madame Pomfrey had told him to get her as soon as he'd started growing the arm back, but he realized that she'd probably forgotten he couldn't get out of the bed to wake her. She had been working all day, and the previous night had not warded her any sleep. Casting a Sonorous on himself with his right arm, he started calling for help.

Nobody came.

He tried again.

Still, nobody came.

In fact, nobody came until the whole thing had ended and he was sitting on the bed with a perfectly fine set of limbs.

Just as he was contemplating the speed of Skele-grow, the door to the infirmary slammed open, and something pale pummeled into his uninjured side. He did not lose his nerve. He knew very well what, or rather, _who_ the human cannonball had been.

"Are you crazy?" Draco shrieked at him loudly. Harry winced –he'd never in his life heard Draco so high-pitched before, and his ears were certainly not used to it.

"What did you think you were doing, jumping in front of a curse like that? You were lucky you just broke a few bones! You could have been long gone, a leftover piece of charcoal!"

Draco pulled Harry's red and gold tie towards him, eyes glinting rather dangerously.

"Or maybe you consider yourself lucky? Maybe you actually have a fetish to being barbequed hmm? Maybe next time I'll just roast you over the fire instead of getting it on with a make-out session!" Draco yelled, his voice getting louder and louder, to the point where it was almost screaming.

"I wouldn't like that," said Harry, matter-of-factly.

"Then why did you do it, you blundering brainless squib!" yelled Draco.

"I had to do it," said Harry tenderly. "They were going to burn you alive, and I couldn't just let that happen."

Draco stared at him. Then, as if by magic himself, he deflated, sitting down on the bed and hugging Harry fiercely, grasping the dark strands on Harry's head. "Don't you ever bloody do that again, because I swear if you do, I will lock you into a cell and proceed to go out on a massacre on anyone who even thinks about insulting you!"

Harry only smiled, kissing Draco on his hair, then his nose, then his cheeks. As he finally placed a kiss on the mouth, he stood, and the remembered.

"Hey, I'm going to go check on old Pomfrey, okay? She didn't answer just now…" Harry said, frowning a little. Draco nodded, still a little dazed at the attention the Gryffindor had bestowed upon him.

Harry smiled fondly, then went towards the healer's office. Seeing the healer lying face down, her body seemingly in sleep, he tried shaking her so as to wake her, to no avail.

Five minutes later, and Harry was starting to get rather anxious.

"Madame Pomfrey! Wake up!" Harry said, starting to get rather worried; the Healer was not usually this tired. And she normally woke up in an instant when Harry called her.

Panicking, as a certain thought struck him, he lifted the sleeve away from the Healer's hand, searching the wrist for a pulse frantically. Finding it, he breathed a little more loosely, then shook his head.

"She's not waking up," said Harry, in terrible realization.

Quickly flooing Dumbledore, he looked at the still body of the healer. Deciding to check her eyes to make sure that she was still alive, he could not stop a sharp gasp as he saw not the usual blue twinkling eyes of the healer.

But sharp dark indigo gaping at him placidly.

Their seventh victim, was Pomfrey.

Somehow, he thought that maybe suspense would have been better this time round.

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**_Author's Note: I'm afraid that Goddess of Chaos is right. In a way, I did lie. I did not update every two weeks for a long time quite recently. However, you must know that I did not intend to do this intentionally. I have been promising you 'every two week's because I believed that I could do so. And I can do so. That is, without everything going wrong for me. Because of my rather wonky computer, my parents bought me a new one, and unfortunately that one didn't go any better. The completed chapter decided to delete itself, as well as a 12 chapter story that I had written for my friend's birthday. In order to re-do everything, including my coursework and homework, I have been unable to update every fortnight and I apologise to the people who believed in me when I said so. I truly did try to do it._**

**_As it is, I shall continue to try doing so, however, if you do not see a chapter up in two weeks, you can be sure that unless I die, it will be up in less than a month. Even I can know that a computer problem cannot last a month._**

**_Please know that I do not do these things on purpose!_**

**_Thanks for listening to a rather terrible authoress._**

Replies to reviewers: JJCJ: My faithful reviewer, I apologise to you especially! You must have a time of it, reading both my Beyblade and my HP fics. I hope you do find those chapters of yours…I do enjoy reading your stories!

BlackNeonTears: Thank you. I am rather fond of Ron, as I have said before, and thus this is what has happened!

Katsy15: Yes, they finally got together, didn't they!

Persephone-butterfly: No, I hate those stories where everything is a big dream. And it does linger; even now I still feel it in my system, but technically I'm fine. The doctors say I'll never fully get rid of it anyway –at least, as long as I continue to live in Hong Kong of all places! I apologise for making it so late…but you've heard too much of that already.

Dark Angel's Blue Fire: Thank you for the compliment, I truly appreciate it.

JadeLilyMalfoy: And I have to apologise yet again! I feel like such a terrible author…thank you for being so accepting!

Evil Farie Queen: Yes, I am feeling much better –although all my friends have fallen sick! Why on earth are you apologizing to me of all people? I should be apologizing to you!

Julia: Yes, aren't you glad they got together though? It was really anticlimical, but I wanted to keep it sweet.

Goddessofchaos: I'm sorry that you're mad at me. I hope it lessens the blow that I did actually have a reason in doing so: I have slept at 1 every day for the past week just to do everything in time and to get this fic up so that it was only late by one week! If you don't believe me, you may ask Only Secret: she's the friend I did the 12-chapter HrD fic for (I was betraying my favorite couple; it seemed so unfaithful) but thank you for the review.


	13. Sloth: Acedia II

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_**THE SEVEN SINS**_

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******CHAPTER 13: SLOTH: ACEDIA II**

_****__**Sloth like rust, consumes faster than labour wears, while the used key is always bright. –Benjamin Franklin.**_

Harry was hardly surprised these days. Neither was Draco. But it would be rather condescending to say that they weren't when Harry was shocked speechless about the turn of events, and Draco's mouth was gaping wide.

They had not expected the next victim being Pomfrey. Although it did make sense. If Voldemort or any other ill-wishing creature wanted to attack Hogwarts, now would be an excellent choice, what with the healer of the castle indisposed for an indefinite amount of time. In fact, the castle would have only been more vulnerable had it been Dumbledore who had been lying prone on the desk.

They had to stop whatever was going through the castle now.

"What the heck is going on!" Harry finally said, breaking the rather –as Draco had correctly thought –fragile silence in the room. They were situated in the Gryffindor Common Room. Ron hadn't come back, so the room was pretty much alone, since everyone had gone out by the lake to cool themselves off. It had been, Draco reflected, a rather hot day.

"I don't know," his mouth said for him; an automatic answer of sorts. He had said those three words so frequently that the reply had become repetitive, habitual. Making him feel inferior, ignorant, and useless.

He hated those three words.

"Seven people. Seven completely random people."

"Like the colours of a rainbow," Draco said sarcastically. He didn't even notice when Harry froze; he was utterly too busy glaring at the fire.

"Colours of a…" Harry stood up abruptly. "Of course! Their eyes changed colour!"

Draco looked at him oddly. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Pomfrey's eyes were indigo…Mrs Norris' eyes were orange…Binns' eyes were blue…" he screwed up his face, trying to remember…

Draco opened his eyes wide. "Pansy's eyes were yellow!"

Harry looked at him sharply. "They weren't before?"

"They were turquoise before," and Harry could tell that it hurt Draco to say this. Draco had often said to Harry that the two had met through Draco telling Pansy that her eyes were like the stone of 'fwensheep' as he had called it then.

"What about the rest?" Draco said, and Harry followed his lead.

"I think Dean's were…green…" he said, slowly, "and Ginny's were violet…"

"Granger?" Draco asked, anxiously.

"They're brown." The two seekers turned, only to spy Ron Weasley leaning in at the entrance to the Gryffindor door. "But that can also be dark red, and if anything, she's been murmuring about red ribbons surrounding people for quite a while." He paused, seeming to think back a bit. "And if I'm right, the ribbons all surround well-known couples or people we know to like each other."

Harry found his mouth. "Right." Then his eyes widened again. "But then it might be ending!"

The other two looked at him as if he was insane.

"Because there are only seven colours in the rainbow…maybe there will only be seven victims!" Harry paced the room. "But we still need to know a cure for them." He turned again. "I think I'll check up on them," he said, as he turned towards the portrait door. Draco raced after him, as Ron called out to him to 'check on Hermione'.

They walked on a little, Draco respecting the fact that Harry was rolling things over in his mind.

"I don't even know if they're even thinking consciously anymore." Harry sighed, finally, a little disgruntled. "How on earth are we supposed to think up a remedy?"

"Actually, I think that they are conscious…in a sense," said Draco hastily, as he saw the beginnings of a frown cross Harry's face. "Why else would Hermione act the way that Ron told us she did?"

Harry tilted his head a little. "You're right…" he said slowly, contemplating. Draco watched him for a while, getting a little distracted as he saw how charming the black-haired looked when he was thinking.

Shaking his head a little to clear it, he went back to catch the little train of thought he'd been entertaining a little while before. "I wonder if there's anything to keep something the same, but change it," he wondered.

Harry looked at him strangely. Hastening to explain himself, his hands flew, trying to explain things that were difficult to do in voice.

"I meant using the same materials but making something different…like using iron to build a sword instead of a piece of armour. I was wondering if you could do that with a person's self…their emotions?" he gestured helplessly, arms falling to his sides once more.

He watched as a thoughtful look crossed Harry's face. They'd gone through so many possibilities already…he was about to try suggesting something else when Harry's head snapped up.

Something flashed across the Gryffindor's face. Draco looked up (he was two inches shorter than Harry, though most did not dare to tell him this to his face) at Harry curiously. The brunette looked almost startled, as if, for the first time, he was actually realising something.

Then the inevitable happened. "Draco," said Harry slowly, "I think I've got something." He turned around gradually, then walked, faster and faster, almost racing back the way whence they came.

Draco smiled, as he watched Harry race down the corridor. Though he was a little puzzled at his –he blushed– boyfriend's actions, he knew that the Gryffindor would tell him eventually.

As he watched Harry's silhouette gradually disappear into the darkness of the corridors, he chuckled a little. He hoped that Harry had thought of something that was useful. He was getting a little worried about the stalemate at which they'd arrived.

It was only when he'd come out of his thoughts that he realised he was alone…

Getting the creeps, he turned around, spinning his head to see if anybody…anything was near. Breathing a little sigh of relief, he was about to continue walking when a cloak-covered hand covered his mouth. Grey eyes opened wide in a silent plea of terror. His last thought before losing consciousness at a well-placed blow to his head, was that he had, in addition to never thinking of Pomfrey as the next victim, never thought that he was going to be one either.

He had just enough time to entertain the thought for a few seconds before he shut off entirely.

Then they were gone.

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Replies to Reviewers: FreeDaChickens: Does your username refer to KFC's chickens, or chickens overall? Actually I did go once without updating for three months; I'm still rather sorry for that. But since there are only a few chapters left (sobs) I'm hopign there won't be anymore delays. 

Katsy15: Woot! A REVIEW! You have no idea how these cheer up days. Or maybe you do. Anyway, thanks a lot!

JJ CJ: Yes, we authoresses have to get inspirations from somewhere. I'm still wondering where mine come from. Send me an email when you finish the fic alright? I think i'll check to see if I have you on author alert. I'm sure I do, but I'm quite absent-minded.

Julia: Well, actually one person per sin, and Hermione already takes up Lust. So I'm afraid neither will be Lust. But watch the next chapters!

JadeLilyMalfoy: Everyone is so nice these days! I reject your rejection and get down to my knees. Thanks for the comment!

Clayscarface: I aim to be unpredictable. You should talk to my friends about that. I think I've succeeded in the job so well, that it's now unpredictable for me to be PREdictable. As for the skele-grow: I missed out a sentence in my chapter due to havign to re-type it up - please don't ask about it - and I've editted that just now. Thanks for the compliment; please don't hesitate to criticise me. If I were an angel, I would be annoyed at myself because I really find perfect people rather boring (though then I'd have to question if angels would be able to get angry?).


	14. Death: Letum I

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_**THE SEVEN SINS**_

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**CHAPTER 14: LETUM: DEATH I**

**Some people are so afraid to die that they never begin to live. **

**--Henry Van Dyke. **

What on earth could be happening? This was the question that Harry now occupied himself most days and nights. There was something that he was missing –and the problem was, he didn't know what. He laughed a little ironically at himself –that was why it was said to be 'something missing' wasn't it?

So far, seven people had fallen to the 'curse' or whatever it was. Their eye colours had changed. That was it.

Harry didn't believe that their conscience was truly missing as they had originally thought. If that was so, Hermione would not have reacted the way she did with Ron, on the first day. It was just as Draco said –they were still _there_. Yet, he couldn't quite understand why they were so off-balance. If they had their original impulses…

There was something that he had forgotten…he'd almost got it…

He hadn't even realised that he had wandered back to the Transfiguration room. As soon as he did, however, he stopped, lifting his head curiously.

"I wonder…"

Making up his mind, he knocked on the door, "Professor McGonagall?" he called.

Grey hair came into view. "Yes, Mr. Potter? Is something wrong?" She hurried to his side, forehead crinkled. Harry thought for a minute.

"Yes…" he said, as he sat down in his desk subconsciously. His brain was playing with an idea that still had no shape, but was almost resembling something…if he could only…

They'd learned how to isolate spells: given a situation in the near future, they would be able to identify any type of charms, spells, hexes or curses by certain pieces of detective work. Specificity had to be trained of course –these required specialists, but a vague idea was what most people went for first.

"Is magnification transfiguration?" he asked his Professor suddenly.

"Well, it depends," McGonagall answered, already intrigued. "It would have to be something real, not something imaginary."

"What if it were an abstract element?" asked Harry. His mind was grasping for something, but he didn't quite know what.

"As long as the abstract element were real, then it wouldn't matter." Her eyes narrowed, curious. "What abstract element are you thinking of, Mr. Potter?"

"Emotions," Harry said, after a while. "Could that be transfigured? Magnified I mean?" he said, cautiously. Transfiguration could last a much longer time than charms could; that was why he was investigating this side of it first. Charms also depended on the caster –transfiguration could last past the caster's death, but charms could not.

"Well, that's a hard thing to do," the Professor said. Already though, Harry could see the excitement building up in her eyes, as she bustled around the classroom, looking through books. "In fact, only a few people have been able to do it…"

She pulled down a rather dusty tome from one of the highest of shelves. Blowing a few cobwebs away from the cover, and banishing the rest with her wand, she turned the pages. "Transfiguring emotions is quite difficult, Mr. Potter, because you are 'messing about' shall we say, with the equilibrium of the human body. It is easy to damage, or even destroy anything that you transfigure the emotions of."

She paused, stopping her constant flipping of the book's pages for a minute. "Not to mention the potential danger to the person's sanity –there is no saying what could happen to a person who's accidentally had all of his or her emotions magnified…in fact, it was a pretty good way to torture someone, by magnifying a highly negative emotion," she said thoughtfully.

"What would you need to do to transfigure a particular emotion?" asked Harry.

"You would need to focus on one particular feeling," said McGonagall slowly. "and you'd have to do a very complicated locating spell so as to focus on something that caused that feeling –an event, maybe, and magnify the source."

A little dawn of realisation occurred to Harry. "Does it matter how small the source is? Or if it's even shown?"

The Transfiguration Professor thought for a little while. "No, you only really need a quantified limit to the emotion you're magnifying."

Harry had already gotten up to dance a jig around the desks but at this point of information, he stopped. "What do you mean by quantified?"

"Oh, a limit. So, something like 'angry up until the point that he starts punching someone'."

Harry grinned. "Is there any way to 'break out of it', then?" he asked, remembering Hermione all of a sudden. If this point was clarified, then he'd know what had happened to each of the victims. If only…

"No," answered McGonagall, and Harry's hopes crashed, scattering across the floor of the classroom in shards.

"W-what?" Harry stammered. For once, this was a little out of his league. They had been so utterly close…

"Unless," the Professor put a contemplating face on. "Unless, of course, the spell was done wrong –deliberately or otherwise."

At Harry's stunned face, she abruptly launched into her explanation: "Transfiguration of emotions does not take into account the denials that the subject has to said emotions: if a person was in denial of their love, a spell magnifying this love would not take the denial into account. Therefore there are not 'sudden breakthrough's as you call it, Mr. Potter." She paused, her forehead wrinkling up even more in her intense thinking session.

"However, if the caster accidentally magnified the emotions that the subject had at the time of the spell _cast_, then that might be a different matter."

Harry closed his eyes leaning back in his chair. "But why would it be different unless that emotion wasn't there at the time of casting?" He shoved his hands through his hair, desperately. He knew he was almost there, but it was just so frustrating, so _exasperating_ to be that close…!

"Remember how the Unforgivables need hatred to work?" Harry nodded. "In essence, spells take a little piece of the caster away, but because our magic replenishes everything, we never really notice, unless we take too much away too soon –that's what we call a 'magic out'."

"If the caster had accidentally miscast the spell, then there would not have been any 'breakthroughs'. If the caster had miscast the spell on purpose, then it can be safe to say that they didn't expect the subject's feelings to change. So if the subject's feelings changed while the spell was still on them…"

"…then there would be a breakthrough!" Harry whispered in awe. "But what if the subject's feelings then reverted back to magnification status before their feelings changed? And why would someone miscast the spell on purpose?" He knew that Voldemort would try and get as little weakness as possible.

"Someone would miscast the spell on purpose if they were afraid that the subject's emotions would undergo a change so drastic that the feeling that they were magnifying would disappear. As for the reversion, I believe that the magnification transfiguration spell would come in again –a transfiguration spell like that is not actually one spell, but a constant stream of same spells. It would have taken a while, but as soon as the caster had noticed something wrong, then the spell would have adjusted itself so that the magnification would still occur to the quantified limit."

Harry stared at her in awe. "It fits…everything fits!"

His professor turned to him, forehead crinkled. "Mr. Potter…why have you asked me these questions?"

"It's…I…I need to find Dumbledore!" Harry stammered, still unable to get his head around the fact that the mystery was solved. He ran out of the classroom, yelling a 'thank you' as he did so. With that, he took off towards the Gargoyle, exhilarated beyond belief.

"Cotton candy!" he yelled at the gargoyle, and it swung open. Hermione, before she'd been…well, transfigured, had found a spell that added to the Marauder's Map the aspect of knowing what the Headmaster's passwords were in case of emergency. Not noticing as red light surrounded the doorway.

"Dumbledore!" he exclaimed. As the old wizard looked up at him expectantly, he started explaining, his voice excited, seeming to ramble on about the discovery.

As he finished, Dumbledore grinned at him, and clapped his hands. "Excellent, Harry!" He paused. "But what about the seven emotions?"

Harry pondered, a little stumped at this question. His mind whirled, seemingly trapped on the number seven. Why is that number important? he wondered. Then his mind focussed on Hermione…then Dean…then Pansy…so lustful, so greedy…so…

His eyes blinked.

"The seven sins." He spoke softly. Dumbledore clapped his hands again.

"That is truly good…" Dumbledore took a sip of his tea, mouth curved into a smile. "You have found the answer," he said cheerfully, rather like one of the PS2 muggle games that said 'You have won' over and over again.

Harry looked at the Headmaster with not a little doubt in his eyes. "Headmaster, are you alright?"

"That would depend what 'alright' is," Dumbledore said, still in that irritating voice. Gradually standing, he rose up behind the desk.

With growing apprehension, Harry stepped back, as the Headmaster only continued to smile.

Black swirled around his vision, and for a second he thought he was going into a faint. Until he realised that, like a cloak revealing the twisted version of a muggle conjurer's tricks, an image was being peeled off, and Harry realised that he was standing in a completely black clearing, with no skies, and no ground.

And it was then that the Headmaster's beard and twinkling blue eyes melted away to form poisonous red and a set of black robes.

A thin mouth appeared, and as the transformation completed itself, it raised itself into a sneer.

"Hello, Harry," it said.

* * *

Replies to Reviewers: Radish Earrings: Thank you, as always! 

birdsofmorrigan: You won't be so confused anymore, I hope! Well, less anyway, not totally not confused. I haven't even explained _everything_ everything yet!

JadeLilyMalfoy: Dang…I have to work on my Slytherin tendencies a little bit more.

JustBecauseI'mAgUrl: Thank you very much and I hope you like the new update! Love your name by the way…

FreeDaChickens: Well, first of all there ARE only seven, as you can see by the title…hope this chapter's title explained that. Secondly, Pomfrey is asleep, but because her 'sloth' tendencies have awakened, she can't focus on any other emotion. She is asleep, but she can't wake up. The other things will be explained later.

TheSmallestGhost: Well I hope you get it now!

Dark Angel's Blue Fire: Yep, and I'm updating again!

NinjaoftheDarkness: Actually I do it rather spontaneously…-sweat drops- but thanks!

Cute-angel4eva: Updating!

Nulla: Now you know!

Hiril Moon: I don't quite know either. –shrugs- But you're here now! Whoopee! **_Oh, and Draco is NOT going to die and neither is Harry. I do very few character deaths._** There are not going to be any except one in this one.

Clayscarface: Well, here's your rather gigantic explanation! Does it all fit? I hope it does, because if it doesn't I will be rather puzzled about how to fix it. I don't think righteous anger will be too 'bad', though I would imagine that the angels wouldn't be angry, but more…righteous instead.


	15. Death: Letum II

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_**THE SEVEN SINS**_

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**CHAPTER 15: DEATH: LETUM II  
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**It is love, not reason, that is stronger than death. –Thomas Mann**

Red eyes stared at him, a sneer stretched across the pallid face.

He realised that he'd been staring at the transformation so hard that he actually hadn't taken anything in. Slowly, steadily, he looked around him.

There were the seven; the seven who they had thought been possessed the last few weeks. Hermione, Dean, Pansy, Binns. Pomfrey, Ginny and Mrs. Norris. All here.

Each one was standing, face cocked awkwardly up to the ceiling, arms hanging straight by their side. Red glowing circles surrounded each of them, while their eyes glowed their assigned colour. Red, yellow, orange. Green, blue, indigo and violet. They were all there.

For a moment, Harry stood there in sickly awe. Until he noticed what was in the centre of those he'd been looking upon.

Blond hair glinted in the centre of the circle.

"Draco!"

He headed towards his boyfriend hurriedly. And was stopped by the lifting of two silver eyes.

Two blank silver eyes.

Two blank silver eyes that glowed red.

He stepped back. "Draco," he whispered, and he hated how his voice sounded so forlorn. Like a puppy that had been left in the rain by its owner. Realising just how much he had come to rely on Draco and his smiles, the secret ones made just for him.

Even the comforting strokes on his hair when he needed that nap, and the warmth of his lap as he drifted off to sleep.

And now this very person was standing opposite him, draped in a black cloak and holding a scythe in his hand, the very image of Death personified.

A chuckle resounded in the room, and Harry flipped his head in its direction. Voldemort stood, looking down upon him. "So, Harry, do you like how I've dressed your boyfriend?" He laughed darkly. "It's a rather…unique costume I admit, but I believe it suits his role perfectly."

"What have you done to him?" Harry said fiercely. "How have you made him like this?"

Voldemort waved his fingers about, and immediately Draco advanced towards him, like a puppet on strings. "Why, I have done nothing. I have only twisted his desires." He grinned, a twisted grin.

For a moment, Harry froze, breathing restricted by the clamp hold on his heart and his lungs. Then he breathed again, silently placing his trust into Draco, placing his love into Draco.

"No, that's not Draco," he said softly, and both Voldemort and Draco froze. Seeing this, Harry frantically started begging.

"Draco? Is that you? Draco, break out of it for me, break out of the monster for me…"

Voldemort laughed, and Harry turned around, wand raised in his hand. "It is useless –he will only listen to me. Even your pathetic feelings for him cannot persuade him."

Voldemort sat back down; on a throne he'd waved out of thin dark smoke, smiling perversely, as if enjoying a particularly funny show. "Isn't it hilarious?" he said, drawling out the words as Draco did, except it was filled with oozing ominous poison, and Harry hated it, hated how it crept down his veins and filled them with dread. "You see," he said in an explanatory tone, "either you get killed by your own lover, or you kill him to save yourself. And even if I lose against you, I will have won…because you will not be able to survive." Harry stared at him, the dread in his blood turning into fear.

Then the smirk turned into a contented smile and Voldemort rolled his fingers into a gentle, lax fist.

"Kill him."

Draco took a step forward. Harry, terrified, stepped backwards, and turned back, trying to run towards the door, trying to run out of the circle. And when he found that he couldn't escape, he tried to break out, tried to escape, but the circle would only shine red, filled with runes and old spells that linked to form a wall against him.

_Step._

Desperately he banged against the red wall with his fists, ignoring the humiliating sound of Voldemort's snickers against his ears.

_Step. _

His eyes were growing wild now, growing dilated with arresting fear that clawed against him.

_Step. _

And the footsteps were edging towards him so he turned, already knowing what to do. Closing his eyes, he waited until Draco came.

Ignoring the Prophesy for now. Ignoring everything. Focussing only on Draco.

Voldemort had stopped laughing, he knew, and red eyes were focused on him, darkening his back with their gaze.

The scythe lifted, ready to strike, and he closed his eyes, giving himself a moment of collection, of silent goodbyes. And the fear was trying to take over his heart but he wouldn't let it, because he wanted Draco to remember that he had been brave, and that to the last minute he had never regretted what he had done.

Hearing the scythe start to come down upon him, he opened his eyes and looked straight into silver. Moss green shining a little in tears. Not tears of fear, but tears of sadness. Sadness of never seeing Draco again, and love, love for the young man standing in front of him.

"I love you."

The scythe stopped.

Blank eyes flickered, and Harry watched as red surrounded his beloved. Ignoring what common sense he still had, he reached out his hands to grasp Draco's.

"Draco," Harry whispered. "Draco, I love you. Come back to me."

The scythe dropped, as grey Malfoy eyes blinked at him in confusion and fatigue. "Harry?" he asked, still faintly. Harry smiled, a little tearfully, as he traced Draco's cheeks, and let the blond rest his head on Harry's shoulders, body curled around his.

And it was then that a scaly hand, furious at being thwarted again, snatched the scythe from Harry's hands, and lifted it high for power. Then it came down.

Straight at Draco.

"No!" he screamed, and he leapt in front of Draco, his Draco, letting the poisonous, pernicious blade slip through his skin as if it were silk, ripping through his flesh and teasing out blood in ruby streams.

"Harry," Draco murmured, then let his head fall to the side.

"No! Draco! _Draco_, get up!" In horror, Harry watched as Draco's breathing seemed to pause every now and then, and he turned to Voldemort, his body filled with fury, bright light starting to surround first him, then Draco, and then the room, creeping across the floor towards his enemy.

Green light emitted from Harry's eyes, the colour of Avada Kedevra, filled with fire, and suddenly the _room _was filled with fire, pure and white and beautiful. Erupting over the whole room with its intensity, and majestic as the sun. And Harry remembered that he'd seen them before seen them in his dreams.

The brilliant white surrounded the seven around them, and as he watched as Voldemort's scream echoed throughout the room as white enveloped his robes, then his hands, then the entirety of his body. Purification of fire at its highest form. Hugging Draco's body close to him, he watched. Watched as the red rings around the seven disappeared, swallowed whole by the white flames, consuming them each with a ball of stainless white, and seemingly apparating them out.

With sudden horror, Harry realised that the fire, as soon as its magic was used up, turned red. Turned into real fire. With no control over whose its victims were. And that it now had no other victims to feast upon.

Except Harry.

Except Harry and Draco.

Using his arms, he rolled Draco towards the only patch of white fire left, looking on as it engulfed Draco's pale, angel-like form and floated him upwards. And stopped. As little cracks in the crackling globe beamed a little red, Harry understood.

Smiling ironically, he closed his eyes, picturing the last remnants of his magic, the last few drops of magic he had that were keeping him off the edge of death, and pictured giving them to Draco.

Sadly he watched as the little ball of energy floated for a little while, as if his own magic was delaying the transfer so he could watch his beloved for the very last time. He was already using the last remnants of energy he had to stand, but he _would_ see Draco that one last time…

"I love you Draco."

Then the ball disappeared, taking Draco with it, and Harry laid down, flickers of light from the fire surrounding him dancing on his hair, on his skin. Letting the now completely red, completely dangerous fire surround him. Letting his blood drip, unheeded, from the sides of his body, spilt wine on the black, black floor. Letting his fatigue take him and sweep him away…

* * *

Replies to Reviewers: JadeLilyMalfoy: I blink in shock. And again. Okay? Review not understanding. But I'm guessing you were happy about the chapter right? 

JJ CJ: Good. I wanted it that way.

Dark Angel's Blue Fire: Good grief, I hope so! I was ironing out so many flaws with that explanation!

Radish Earrings: Well, here it is, and thanks!

Enelaya: I'm glad you reviewed! And I'm Chinese, so yeah, lol. You have great English!

California Smells Funny: Really? That means so much to me, you don't know!

BlackNeonTears: Well I nope you're not crying now!

Clayscarface: Now did I kill anyone you liked? No! So there! And no, the Dumbledore thing has not been explained yet. Tadah! Next one, sorry!

Hiril Moon: Well…we'll see….

Julia: Nope not red hair…red eyes.

Itchangescolorwhenitdries: What change colour when it dries? Oh, and what does skronk mean?


	16. Resurrection: Resurrectio

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_**THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS**_

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**CHAPTER 16: RESURRECTIO: RESURRECTION **

**_Once there was hopelessness, today there is joy and affirmation, once there was general desperation, today there is resurrection and reawakening.  
--Robert Ley_**

Haziness. And blinding light.

Whoever said that waking up to blinding light was quite annoying was making a rather huge understatement. In fact, if he had anything to do with whatever was making that confounded beam that was making it directly into his eyes, _damn it,_ the object may not likely survive for another two seconds.

As soon as he could move that is.

Slowly he opened his eyes. And scowled. The light wasn't going away. If anything, it was hurting his eyes even more.

"Now, hold still, Mr. Malfoy, your eyes are going to be rather tender for the next few days." Draco groaned intensely as he fought his way to sitting up on the bed.

"Okay, I know this is cliché, but what happened?" he demanded as soon as he sat up.

"Voldemort attacked you, as well as the rest of the victims with a transfiguration curse directed to your emotions."

"What?" Draco said, furious. "Wait, a second, I was the eighth…that's not possible with the colours…"

"You were silver," explained the medi-witch patiently. Draco started, remembering that Pomfrey had been one of the victims. "And you were Death."

"Death?"

"The other seven victims basically took on the personality of the Seven Sins. Or at least that's the easier version of it."

Draco screwed up his forehead. "Oh. Wait, so Harry did it?" His voice tinged with excitement, he turned his face into the direction that he thought the nurse was in.

The medi-witch shook her head sadly. "Yes he did. Voldemort's dead."

A large beam made its way onto the blonde youth's face. "That's great!" He turned his head from left to right. "Where's Harry then?"

The nurse hesitated. "He's right beside you," she finally answered, rather softly.

A puzzled frown. "Huh?"

Silently, she placed his hand onto the wires surrounding the raven-haired boy on the next bed. There was an expression of confusion before sudden realization happened across his face. "That's—"

"Yes."

"Oh." Senior nurse Harris felt dread creep in from around the room. Maybe she should have waited before telling…

"Can I move the bed a little closer?" said Draco suddenly.

Hesitating only for a second, she nodded, helping him move the piece of furniture towards the other.

Draco nodded at her quietly, then curled up cautiously next to the raven head.

And so it was for days.

Everyone's eyes soon healed, everyone able to get out of the hospital. Draco had been able to see Harry –horrified by the sight that greeted him. Harry was so delicate that the wizarding world, with all of its miraculous remedies, had been reduced to using muggle technology. A pale, thin body surrounded by wires of a myriad of colours was what met his eyes, and he wondered exactly what had happened.

Because only Harry knew what had happened. Even Dumbledore had had no knowledge to share –he had only been transported out of his office. Anything else, he did not know.

And as the days passed, everyone else wondered if they would even get to know.

The Weasleys had made up to each other. Ginny had admitted to Ron that for the first milli-second of Harry rejecting her, she had blamed him, but that it had been the shortest while. Cinnamon eyes had pleaded to cinnamon eyes and Ron had forgiven –but he and the rest of the Trio would never forget.

Hermione, on the other hand, had only deepened her relationship with Ron. When she had asked, he had only told her that he would never have done anything without her present, and that although it had technically been Hermione, it hadn't really been 'Mione, and that was all it was really. Hermione had only hugged him tight, but they had each understood.

Pansy and Blaise had gotten together, as well as Dean and Seamus. Both of the victims had been humiliated as soon as they saw what had happened through their partners' memories. Nevertheless, the awkward situation hadn't lasted long, with Blaise forcefully kissing Pansy and Seamus simply holding Dean in his arms.

Draco had watched all of these situations, storing them inside his memory until Harry could wake up and see all of them. He had already placed them all into a pensieve and was waiting for the Gryffindor to _just wake up_.

And as two months crept by he sat at Harry's bedside, just waiting. Neither drifting away but neither overly joyful. Just patiently waiting.

Waiting.

_Waiting._

-

"See you back at the dorm later, yeah?" said Blaise, his arm around Pansy.

Draco nodded, as he walked towards the hospital wing. His arms were full of a pile of homework, but fortunately he managed to open the door anyway.

His friends nodded, and ran off. Inside, Ron and Hermione also left, the red-head giving Draco a hug, and the brunette giving him a peck on the cheek. As they always did. As they always would.

At least until Harry woke up.

In his normal routine, he sat down on Harry's bed, flipping to Arithmancy. He'd started on the first sum –getting quite into it, really –when the first shuffle came. Thinking it was something to do with the breeze, it wasn't until the second and third shuffle beside him came that he turned around.

And saw Harry moving around significantly.

He stared; then recovering his mental facilities, he ran to the neighbouring ward. "Pomfrey!" he yelled frantically. "Pomfrey! Come quick, he's moving!"

Hearing nothing, he sat there, helplessly. Then, deciding that just sitting there was definitely not going to help his Harry, he reached around the maze of wires and grabbed hold of Harry's hand. "Come on, Harry, open your eyes for me. Open your eyes for me…"

Harry's body went still then, and Draco's hopes dropped. Then eyelashes fluttered, green eyes stared at him and there was silence as they met each other's gaze, startled.

"Hey," said Harry finally, trying, with what feeble strength he had left, to squeeze Draco's fingers.

Tears already starting to flow down Draco's cheeks, the blonde sniffed, his voice cracking as he murmured: "Harry…"

They nuzzled each other for a few moments, Draco completely unable to stop the tears and Harry unable to release himself from the wires.

"How long was I out?" whispered Harry huskily. His voice was rusty from disuse.

"Three months. You've got a heck of a lot to catch up on." Draco's head was pillowed on Harry's rather hard collar bone, but he didn't really care.

"Oh." Harry's forehead wrinkled. He wondered if Draco knew…

"Yeah." Draco wondered if Harry remembered…

There was a few minutes of blessed silence.

"Oh my Lord!" Draco sat up, just in time to see Pomfrey in a dead faint on the floor.

"That has to be the fastest record I've had for making someone keel over," he heard from the bedside. And for the first time in three months, Draco Malfoy threw back his head and laughed.

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Replies to Reviewers: Enelaya: I'm so sorry you had to be one of the first reviewers. Actually, the first reviewer for this chapter! You had the longest wait…I'm so sorry! Please don't murder me, I still have one more chapter to write! 

Dark Angel's Blue Fire: I'm glad about the liking…

Lurkindarkness: I am very glad that you love me. _Very_.

Julia: Well, it's not one big joke.

Cheezewhizz: He has a miraculous recovery.

BlackNeonTears: Yes!

Itchangescolorwhenitdries: Oh. Well, they don't really have sex until they're twenty, but when they do it they do it on this nice lovely bed that they bought to put in one of their many houses. And that's because they can't really skronk in the orphanage can they? And yes, they have one. Harry took a job for the 'family business department' in the Magical Ministry. Draco is an investor. He also works a dating service alongside Hermione. Lol.

Radish Earrings: Was that a good 'oh!'?

Clayscarface: What does a guy's scream sound like? I've never heard a guy scream before. And about the other most important thing…

…WHERE ARE THE GRAMMAR MISTAKES!

TheSmallestGhost: Well, you bumped into the fact that a. I never said there would be nothing other than the seven sins. And secondly, since it's not a seven sin, I can make it totally out of the pattern! Smiles.

IceBlueRose: I am so happy you noticed that author's note. I was slightly worried that I was going insane, because it seemed to be appearing just fine in the screen to me! Thank you for all those wonderful compliments!

Hiril moon: You know, if you got Harry from those wires he'd be kind of dead. Like, seriously dead. And the second thing would be that they wouldn't be able to hold hands and then how would Harry wake up!


	17. Epilogue

**_Replies to Reviewers: The last time, guys!_**

**_JJCJ: I said I wouldn't, after all. I hope you like this chapter even more, because I decided to elaborate on the different relationships._**

**_Enelaya too-lazy-to-log-in: I hope you're alright. Here's the last chapter, I hope you love it!_**

**_Evil Farie Queen: Yes, you're totally up to date now! And after reading this one, there won't be anymore chapters to be up to date on! I'm feeling sort of nostalgic now..._**

**_Slushie Blue: I'm sure Harry appreciates that you love his humor so much. Draco doesn't tell him so that openly, you see, although Harry knows that Draco loves it (lol). _**

**_TheSmallestGhost: I nearly forgot about answering that. I really meant it so that there would only be one question that would be totally unanswerable throughout the chapters. Which would be: Why did Voldemort always attack on Tuesdays? So thank you!_**

**_Cheezewhizz: SHORT! -Faints- I don't think I can write anymore than that unless I took three months to write a chapter!_**

**_Ninjaofthedarkness: There's one more. In fact, IT'S HERE AND YOU'RE READING IT!_**

**_Julia: I'm your new hero? But I'm a girl! Oh well, thanks anyway! I've never been a hero before. A 'slut' a 'best friend' a 'sister' a 'soul sister' a 'daughter' an 'idiot' an 'evil genius' (whoa, doesn't THAT sound like someone we all know), and even a 'toaster-in-explosion', but never a hero. _**

**_Clayscarface: Yes, I would love the editting help, thanks! Could do with it if you have time. But only if you have time, you hear me? I actually made a guy scream last week. It was actually totally by accident, but boy, his voice was high!_**

**_Hiril Moon: Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Much less Draco, who we all know is way too protective. -Grins-_**

**_Itchangescolorwhenitdries: Really? Thanks! As for 'them', it's more like an 'it', but here it is!_**

**_I've got a new HPDM fic that I'll be posting soon. As for the Tuesday question, you'll have to read the chapter first! _**

**_

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THE SEVEN SINS

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**EPILOGUE**

**_Beauty is whatever gives joy._ **

**--Edna St. Vincent Millay **

It took a fortnight before Harry was entirely on his feet again.

Apparently, even though the fire had become real fire as he had guessed, it still hadn't been able to harm him. Since he was the originator of the fire in the first place, it could only harm others. It wasn't that that had caused the injuries that had proved so nearly fatal to his body, but his love for Draco.

His love for Draco which had led to his magic being drained away.

His love for Draco, which had led to him taking that blow from the scythe.

Harry had only smiled softly when Draco had yelled his heart out at him at the explanation that had arrived of what had happened. Telling him, and repeating over and over again how a wizard's magic was a life source, and that _Lord_, he should be so glad that he hadn't died, and was Harry Potter. After the tirade had finished, with Draco's tears running like a waterfall down his cheeks, Harry only pulled him closer, resting his head on top of Draco's.

"I love you." They both said it simultaneously, and then they'd laughed, tears still leaking from their eyes. For it was all that needed to be said, really.

Then Dumbeledore had come in, and had explained that Voldemort had transported him to his pensieve -where he had been unable to get out. Voldemort had made the memories into a single strand too, and it had been quite some time before Dumbledore had managed to break the strands. The wake-up call and the fire had found to have been utterly real -a manifestation of Voldemort's evil into the castle. In order to not make anyone suspect however, Voldemort had managed to mix up the time sequence and scramble it, so that it had happened, but at the same time, it hadn't. Apparently, the transfiguration spells had arrived later, seeping into Hogwarts and using the evil forcefield that was already present. The attack had been seperated into two parts, which was why both Dumbledore and the castle hadn't been alerted. During Dumbledore's apologies about not being there and not knowing sooner, everyone else to do with his medical condition had poured in.

After getting out of bed though, his first visit was to his best friends, hugging Hermione from behind.

"I'm glad you're alright," Harry said, nose buried in her hair. Hermione, with tears streaking her face, nodded in agreement.

When they pulled apart, Harry's face turned to Ron; and although his complexion was far from what it should have been, both of them noticed the familiar smirk of mischief on his face.

"Ron was rather worried you know," he said, starting off rather casually. Out of the discreet corner of her eye, Hermione noticed that Ron had frozen.She leaned closer, glad to know some more of what he had done. Though she had seen what she had been doing, Ron had only given her some of his memories, the ones where she had actually appeared, seemingly embarassed about the rest.

"I don't think you even slept in your bed for the last two months or so, did you? Neville mentioned that even when Voldie kicked the old bucket you were still sleeping on the floor outside the infirmary." Harry frowned, though a curve at the edge of his mouth informed them that he was still amused at alot that was going on. "And you still haven't told me how you balanced those food trays to 'Mione, got to classes on time, and managed not to starve yourself while still doing the assignments, mate. I really got to know that trick of yours."

Harry turned to the corridor once more. "Oh look, Draco's there. Got to go; you won't mind, will you?" he said, his voice accompanied with a look far too innocent for the likes of his character. Then, just for a sneak peek, he stayed at the corridor's turn.

Ron was flushed, Hermione looking at him in amazement. "You didn't tell me any of that."

Ron shuffled his feet. "I didn't think there was a need to."

Hermione stepped closer to him. "You did so much for me. Why?"

Ron looked up briefly. "I'm your boyfriend."

Hermione snorted. "I didn't see Terry running off to do all that for Padma when he was _her _boyfriend, and they went out for three years. He had plenty of chances, considering the amount of times she got into trouble." She looked towards the ceiling. "Then again, that might be why she broke up with him."

She looked towards him again. "That couldn't have been the only reason. Why did you do it? You didn't have to."

There was a significant pause before Ron spoke.

"I love you. That's why."

Harry left them alone then, Hermione flushing, her face turned away, Ron smiling a very gentle smile.

Ron smiled, then linked his little finger with one blushing Hermione. Then clasping her hand fully, he pulled her towards him, whispering remnants of dreams of the future in her ears, building future homes beside her chestnut hair.

They stayed in the corridor a little longer, saying things that only they could understand, in a delicacy that only true lovers would apprehend.

They stayed in the corridor a little longer, for the other had never been so beautiful.

**hpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdm**

Even after the two were friends again, Dean had had to remain in the hopsital ward for a few nights: for some reason he still got migrains occasionally. Seamus always managed to visit him at these times, always managed to make him comfortable, and this was just one of those times.

Pomfrey had exited the ward at the same time Seamus had gone in, so he just figured that she wouldn't object at the daisies he'd picked from a little patch he'd found near the Lake. It was hidden behind a holly bush, so his hands had gotten a little scratched, but it was worth it to find the prettiest flowers just to see his friend's face light up so.

They chattered about unnecessary stuff, with a few awkward moments in between –as usual they picked up the conversation again –all the while with Seamus thinking how adorable his best pal looked, and with Dean, how soft that red hair could be.

The daisies were placed on the table, soaking in water, when Seamus went to the washroom. Dean, after spending a few seconds on the bed –to check if Seamus was coming back –then got quietly out of bed.

By the time Seamus came back to the room, he was already under the sheets.

When night fell and they had exchanged awkward goodbyes, Seamus left the room, and Pomfrey came in. She collected all the flowers, as Dean snuggled under the bed sheets, under the blanket. He watched her walk away, out of the corner of his eye, and when she did, he took out the single small daisy he'd tucked into his shirt sleeve.

It was slightly crushed, but it still glowed with the soft fragrance of Spring. Stroking the petals, he fell asleep.

And when Seamus entered the hospital ward, to tuck his friend in, his eyes widened with surprise, at the flower enfolded gently in Dean's careful hands. His eyes lit up with a soft, soft joy; then he raised the blankets a little, and tucked himself in, wrapping his arms round the smaller boy.

He figured Dean wouldn't mind.

**hpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdm**

The next morning, when Pomfrey entered the ward again, her walk only paused for a few seconds before she continued distributing the breakfasts on the table. She poured out all the healing potions, then called Dobby to make a second breakfast for an 'unexpected guest'.

It was a small price to pay for the brightening of her day.

**hpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdm**

When Dean woke up, it wasn't to the smell of the clean -_too clean_, he thought- clinicality of the infirmery.

It was to the smell of warm fragrant cinnamon with a touch of pumpkin cream soup. It was to the fragrances of muddy lakes, and misty spring, and something that Dean could not define. It was to the touch of red, red hair that Dean likened, not to silk, but some kind of luxurious drapes, like a muff, soft and warm.

He couldn't resist, and lifting his own hands, he dared to bury his fingers in that luxuriant red. It was after precious moments of lifting strand after strand, delighting in the feel of each one, that Seamus stirred. He'd frozen at the first movement, but couldn't seem to remove his fingers from his best friend's hair.

Sleepy blue eyes looked up at him, as a freckled face leaned against his smooth, piano-player fingers. Calloused digits, longer than his own curled and twined around his wrist, the ring finger stopping on his pulse, _caressing_ it.

"Why'd you sch-top?" the normally vibrant tenor tones were slurring now, and Dean relaxed at the sound of them.

Obligingly, he continued to feel his way through the copper tresses, a sense of tranquility in the room.

Seamus' hand had slid from his wrist, down his arm to his shoulder, then down his spine -each and every joint- to his hip. Dean's body shivered, an automatic reaction, and Seamus' half-closed eyes opened again.

" 'Re you cold?" He managed to say through the thickness of sleep. He didn't wait for an answer, and instead of grabbing the blanket, pulled his dark haired companion even closer. Dean started, then began to relax, as a second hand began smoothing invisible creases in his pyjamas. It drifted away to stroke his face. He smiled.

Then he kissed him. The fragile moment unbroken, preserved crystalline in their minds. They parted, hesitent.

And then there were giggles, and laughter, and Dean pecked Seamus on the nose, affectionately, caring about him, love in his eyes.

And in Seamus' eyes, he saw, that he loved him too.

**hpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdm**

Pansy smiled, running to Blaise about yet another little thing. He stroked her hair affectionately, half-listeningto her excited chatter, half-admiring her glossy raven hair. He nodded, a trifle absently at times, to her voice. Pansy was organising a party for the following week, to celebrate Voldemort's demise.

"Blaise, are you listening?" Pansy said, playfully. Although she loved that Blaise listened to her, it was almost better to watch him watch her...she could almost feel him love her then.

"Yes, Pansy," he said, gently. He placed a small kiss on her hair, and grinned mischieviously. "And even if I wasn't, I think I've heard almost more than the rest of your little committee."

Pansy blushed a little. Then, stepping up to tip toes, she gave him a soft kiss. "Thank you."

And Blaise, startled, but dealing well, smiled back. "No," he said, holding her ever closer. "Thank you."

**hpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdmhpdm****  
**

Just before the eve of six o' clock, Harry had taken Draco out towards the lakes again. Sitting under the tree where they had gotten together, he smiled, finally healthy again. Though he still had slight magical lapses, and though there was much fear that he would become a squib, everything had turned out fine. All that happened now was a slight weakness after classes, which many of the teachers excused him for (even Snape, which was eyebrow-raising, but not really, as Draco was his godson), and slight tingles where there was a scar across his stomach.

Adjusting himself a little (there were starting to be ridges in his back from the wood) Harry shifted with Draco against the tree, the sunset shedding shadows on his boyfriend (he tested the foreign word in his brain)'s face. The soft flitting shades of orange, red, and yellow making the pale blonde hair _really_ glow.

Harry knew he had never been so lucky in his life.

Cradling this precious being, his love, in his arms, under the ethereal lights of dusk. He had never dreamed he would have this.

He had never dared to dream that he would.

But now he knew that love could conquer everything: _hate, greed, pride._

_Anger, lust, sloth._

He smiled.

_Gluttony._

He kissed Draco's cheek.

_And fear._

Silver grey eyes met his own, questioning, yet loving all the same. He shook his head.

Yes, love could conquer everything.

And he was very glad it did.

Fin.

* * *

Tuesdays are my most hated days. Garfield hates Mondays. **I** hate Tuesdays. 


End file.
